In the predawn hours of February 22, 2026, the life of 25-year-old Charleston Burnett was tragically cut short on Moseley Avenue in Macon, Georgia. Burnett was one of three men killed in a burst of gunfire during a weekend gathering. The other victims were identified as 25-year-old Jordan Gardner and 26-year-old Willie Cain. When sheriff's deputies arrived at the chaotic scene around 3:30 a.m., they discovered a large crowd of people running and screaming.
The violence that claimed
Burnett’s life was part of a particularly bloody period in Macon, which saw a spike in gun-related incidents over a short span of time. The shooting that killed Burnett and two others was a grim reminder of the persistent issue of gun violence in the community. For Burnett, the location of his death was tragically ironic; it was on the very same street where, at the age of 13, he had been grazed by a stray bullet in a separate incident.
In the days following the shooting, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office identified 20-year-old Julius Milner as a person of interest. Milner was taken into custody without incident and subsequently charged with three counts of murder for the deaths of Burnett, Gardner, and Cain. He also faces five counts of aggravated assault. Following his arrest, Milner was booked into the Bibb County Jail and is being held without bond.
Charleston Burnett, known to some by the nickname "Brother," was born in Macon on July 9, 2000. He was educated in the Bibb County Public School System and later earned his GED. He had a history of working at several local businesses before pursuing self-employment. He leaves behind a young son. The community mourned his death, with friends and family gathering to remember a life taken too soon. Concerned citizens held meetings to voice their support for those affected by the recent wave of violence and to seek solutions to the ongoing troubles.
