In the late hours of a Friday night in Savannah, Georgia, the life of 16-year-old Alexis Milton Jr. was tragically cut short. On August 21, 2025, the male teenager was in the Ponderosa Apartments area, located in the 4000 block of LaRoche Avenue, when gunfire erupted around 10:10 p.m. Responding to the reports, Savannah Police Department officers discovered Milton on the ground, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the immediate medical attention he received at the scene, his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The death of the 11th-grade student, who had three sisters, marked the city's 20th homicide of the year.
The investigation into Milton's death led to the arrests of three individuals. Seventeen-year-old Ra'jai Zeigler was taken into custody and charged with murder and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Also arrested were 18-year-old Dequan Petty and 20-year-old Jon Petty. Both Dequan and Jon Petty are facing charges of murder and criminal attempt of armed robbery in connection with the fatal shooting of the teenager.
In the wake of his death, family and community members gathered to mourn the loss of Alexis, who was affectionately called 'AJ' and 'Bubba' by his loved ones. A vigil was held to honor his memory and that of another teenager who had been killed in a separate shooting that same week, bringing together a community grieving from the impact of gun violence. The gathering served as a call for an end to the violence that had claimed the lives of their youth.
