On what should have been a carefree 'Senior Skip Day,' tragedy struck in a wooded area of Denny Dobbs Park in Covington, Georgia, ending the life of 18-year-old Justin Etienne. A student at Salem High School, Etienne was among a gathering of students from both Newton and Rockdale County schools on the afternoon of March 19, 2025, when a conflict erupted, and he was fatally shot. First responders arrived at the park just before 5 p.m. and transported Etienne to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Investigators later clarified that Etienne was an innocent bystander in the altercation.
The investigation into Etienne's death was initially hampered by conflicting statements from multiple student witnesses. However, through the execution of search warrants and the gathering of evidence, the Newton County Sheriff's Office was able to make arrests. The first suspect, 16-year-old Jarvis Hinton Jr., a student at Newton High School, was taken into custody on March 21, 2025. He was charged as an adult with murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18, and reckless conduct.
Further investigation led to the arrests of two more teenagers. Tashshawn Lyons, a 17-year-old student at Rockdale County High School, was arrested on March 24, 2025. Subsequently, 16-year-old Jordan McIntosh was taken into custody on March 28, 2025. Indictments revealed that the charges against the three teenagers also stemmed from an assault and robbery against another individual, Luther Hill, during the same incident at the park. All three defendants have been held without bond since their arrests and were scheduled for a court appearance in January 2026.
