In the warm evening of June 13, 2015, a sprawling pool party at a home on Highway 279 in Fayetteville, Georgia, turned into a scene of chaos and violence. Among the hundreds of young people gathered was 19-year-old Wali Ishmail Clanton Jr., a promising student and football player for Kentucky State University. The festive atmosphere of the party, which had been advertised on social media, took a dark turn when a fight broke out. The homeowner was attempting to end the gathering, which had swelled to over 200 people, when gunfire erupted.
In the ensuing melee, five people were struck by bullets. While four of the victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries, Clanton was tragically shot in the chest and was later pronounced dead at Piedmont Fayette Hospital. A graduate of Dutchtown High School, where he had also played football, Clanton was remembered by friends as a kind and pure person who was never known to cause trouble. He was studying to become a physician's assistant and was home for the summer from college.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to one individual. On June 19, 2015, U.S. Marshals arrested 18-year-old Terrence Kyreef Montgomery Jr. in Atlanta in connection with the fatal shooting. Authorities expressed confidence that they had apprehended the person responsible for Clanton's death. Montgomery, a convicted felon, faced a string of serious charges, including felony murder, malice murder, four counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In the wake of the tragedy, the owner of the home where the party took place, Stacey Grant Williams, was charged with misdemeanor disorderly house. The event's promoter, Marqus A. Woods, was also cited for violating a county ordinance that prohibits charging a fee for an event at a single-family residence. The investigation revealed that Woods had paid the homeowner $300 for the use of the property and had charged attendees an admission fee, making approximately $1,500.
