On a Wednesday morning, January 29, 2020, the Toulminville neighborhood in Mobile, Alabama, was disrupted by the sound of gunfire. Responding to reports of a shooting at approximately 11:45 a.m., police discovered the body of 20-year-old Zackory Cortez Mose on the side of the street at the intersection of Schwartz Street and Hathcox Street. The young man had sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
A local resident reported hearing six or seven shots, a jarring event in what was described as a relatively quiet neighborhood where children often played nearby.
The Mobile Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into the broad-daylight shooting. Their efforts led to a breakthrough within days. On February 1, 2020, investigators located and arrested 18-year-old Margarrius Mikel Horn in connection with the killing. Horn was subsequently charged with murder, second-degree marijuana possession, and carrying a pistol without a permit.
The investigation continued, and less than a week later, a second suspect was apprehended. On February 7, 2020, homicide detectives arrested 18-year-old Geoffrey Lee Johnson Jr., identified as the other individual responsible for Mose's death. Johnson was taken to the Metro Jail and formally charged with murder.
