In the early morning hours of Sunday, October 19, 2014, a birthday celebration at a private venue in Waynesboro, Georgia, turned into a scene of violence that claimed the lives of two young men. Andre Harris Jr., a 24-year-old from Stapleton, was fatally shot during an altercation at the former Club Dynasty on Lawson Road. Another man, 24-year-old Likenzie Holliday of Wrens, also lost his life in the shooting. The incident unfolded shortly before 4:00 a.m. when a dispute, reportedly originating from a dance contest, escalated dramatically.
The gathering, held at a facility that had ceased operating as a public nightclub but was still used for private parties, was thrown into chaos as gunfire erupted. Witnesses reported that a fight broke out, leading to individuals brandishing firearms. In the ensuing pandemonium, Harris was shot and killed. As patrons fled the chaotic scene, a third individual was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators from the Burke County Sheriff's Office quickly identified a suspect in the double homicide. Warner Tolbert III, who was 22 years old at the time, was arrested and charged in connection with the deaths of both Harris and Holliday. Authorities stated that Tolbert was the lone gunman. He was charged with two counts of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Warner Tolbert III stood trial for the killings. During the legal proceedings, it was detailed that a fight had broken out between Tolbert and Harris. The defense claimed that Harris had a gun, which he dropped during the dispute, and that Tolbert picked it up and fired in self-defense, shooting Harris multiple times in the back as he walked away. When Holliday approached Tolbert outside the building about the shooting, Tolbert shot him in the chest, with the defense again arguing self-defense, claiming Tolbert believed Holliday was reaching for a weapon. A jury ultimately convicted Tolbert of malice murder in the death of Andre Harris Jr. and voluntary manslaughter in the death of Likenzie Lee Holliday. He was also found guilty of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
