In the early morning hours of July 3, 2014, the vibrant city of Atlanta was marred by a senseless act of violence that claimed the life of 24-year-old Kilon Williams, an African American male. Williams was discovered deceased behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Impala in the parking lot of a restaurant on Ponce de Leon Avenue. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
Initial investigations by the Atlanta Police Department suggested that the shooting did not occur where
Williams's vehicle was found, but rather nearby at the intersection of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Barnett Street. It is believed that after being shot, Williams managed to get back into his car before collapsing. A witness at the scene reported hearing gunshots and then seeing an individual shaking Williams, crying for help, before fleeing the area as the witness approached.
The investigation into Kilon Williams's death led to the identification of two suspects: Lamontez D'Shae Hinton and Fernando Hogan. In October 2014, while already incarcerated in the Fulton County jail on a probation violation, Hinton was charged with the murder of Williams. The subsequent investigation and legal proceedings revealed that Williams was with a friend, Nicholas Gibson, at the time of the incident. Gibson was robbed at gunpoint during the same event that led to Williams's death.
Both Hinton and Hogan were indicted on multiple charges, including malice and felony murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. Court records indicate that a jury found Fernando Hogan guilty of felony murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault of Gibson. He was sentenced to life in prison. Lamontez Hinton was convicted of malice murder and other crimes related to the shooting death of Kilon Williams and the armed robbery of Nicholas Gibson. The Georgia Supreme Court later affirmed Hinton's convictions.
