In the late hours of a summer night in Kellyton, Alabama, a dispute spiraled into fatal violence, claiming the life of 20-year-old Antwian Laquan Morgan of Dadeville. On September 6, 2020, officers from the Alexander City Police Department were called to Benson's Community Center around 2 a.m. Upon their arrival, the sound of gunshots still echoed in the air. A search of the area revealed Morgan suffering from a gunshot wound. He was quickly transported to Russell Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be fatal. Another man, a 32-year-old from Sylacauga, was also found to have been shot in the leg during the same incident, though his injuries were not life-threatening.
The investigation into the shooting suggested that the violence was not a random act. Detectives believe that a fight had broken out earlier in the evening in the parking lot of the community center. It is thought that individuals involved in this initial altercation later returned to the scene with firearms, leading to the deadly shooting that also resulted in damage to multiple vehicles. At the time of his death, Morgan himself was out on a $200,000 bond, facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and four counts of robbery from an incident that had occurred in Camp Hill the previous March.
For weeks, the investigation into Morgan's death continued, with authorities appealing to the public for any information that might lead to an arrest. The efforts of law enforcement came to fruition just over six weeks after the shooting. On a Thursday in Goodwater, U.S. Marshalls located and apprehended Christopher Jarome Thomas, an 18-year-old from Alexander City.
Following his arrest, Thomas was taken to the Tallapoosa County Jail and formally charged with the murder of Antwian Morgan. The case against him proceeded, and in October 2021, a grand jury indicted Christopher Jarome Thomas on charges of murder and first-degree assault for his alleged role in the shooting outside Benson's Community Center.
