A recent move to Savannah, Georgia, marked a new beginning for 28-year-old Chris Allen Villegas Fentress and his partner, Oscar. A native of Virginia and a U.S. Army veteran, Fentress was embracing his new community, volunteering his time at the Savannah Pride Center. This promising new chapter was tragically cut short on the evening of March 15, 2025, during what should have been a routine stop at a Dollar General on West Bay Street. The male victim was with his partner and a friend when a verbal confrontation with another customer escalated with fatal consequences.
The dispute reportedly began after an offer to help an elderly gentleman with his purchase was denied by a cashier. When another customer, later identified as 27-year-old Johnathan Manson, allegedly demanded that Fentress and his friends pay for his items, an argument ensued. Witnesses reported that Manson directed homophobic slurs at Fentress during the altercation. Though Fentress initially left the store, he returned to confront the man again. It was then that he was shot. He was transported to Memorial Health University Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
Savannah Police quickly identified and arrested Johnathan Manson, charging him with murder. He was subsequently denied bond. In the wake of the shooting, friends and community advocates, including the Savannah Pride Center, called for the incident to be investigated as a hate crime. They pointed to the alleged use of anti-gay slurs during the argument and a reported history of anti-LGBTQIA rhetoric on the suspect's social media accounts.
Despite these calls from the community and the public outcry, the Savannah Police Department and the city's mayor have stated that there is currently insufficient evidence to pursue a hate crime charge. The investigation remains ongoing as the community mourns the loss of Fentress, who was remembered by his father as 'love' at a vigil held in Forsyth Park.
