In the early morning hours of January 14, 2014, William Fernando Barnes, a 38-year-old male known professionally as DJ Nando, was shot and killed in the driveway of his Morrow, Georgia home. Barnes, a prominent and influential DJ in the Atlanta hip-hop scene, had just returned from a gig at Club Onyx at approximately 3:30 a.m. when he was ambushed and shot once in the head. His girlfriend, Shonté Renee, was inside their Oakmill Court residence when she heard the gunshot. After peeking out the window and seeing Barnes on the ground near his Jeep, she rushed outside to his side. Renee, with the guidance of a 911 operator, attempted to administer first aid, but Barnes succumbed to his injury at the scene.
Investigators from the Clayton County Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined that the assailant had been waiting for Barnes. Security camera footage from Barnes's home captured a man walking down the driveway and hiding in the bushes for several hours before Barnes's arrival. When Barnes returned home and was bringing some equipment inside, the gunman ran up behind him and fired the fatal shot before fleeing the scene. The shooter did not take Barnes's laptop, money, or other valuables, suggesting that robbery was not the motive.
Despite the available security footage and a reward of $10,000 offered by his family and the owners of Club Onyx, no arrests have ever been made in the case, and the murder remains unsolved. In the weeks leading up to his death, friends and colleagues noticed a change in Barnes's behavior; he had become increasingly concerned for his safety and had begun carrying a gun everywhere. It was later revealed that he had thwarted one robbery attempt and had been the victim of another that he had not widely spoken about.
William Fernando Barnes was a Virginia native who had moved to the Atlanta area in the early 2000s. He rose to prominence as a DJ at the influential Magic City and Club Onyx, where he was known for his unique style and his role in breaking new artists and hit records, including those by artists like Migos, Future, and 2 Chainz. He was a key member of the Coalition DJs, a collective of strip club DJs who held significant sway in the music industry. Barnes was survived by an 11-year-old daughter. His death sent shockwaves through the Atlanta hip-hop community, and his legacy as a legendary figure in the city's music scene endures.
