In what should have been a celebration of new teenage years, 13-year-old Lamon Freeman’s life was tragically cut short in a hail of gunfire just 30 minutes into his birthday. On July 2, 2024, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Lamon, a male, was hanging out with friends on the steps of a building at the West End Apartments in Atlanta’s Oakland City neighborhood when the shooting occurred. He died at the scene. Also killed in the shooting was his 13-year-old best friend, Jakody Davis.
A third boy, Jakody's 11-year-old younger brother, was also shot and hospitalized with critical injuries.
According to Lamon's cousin, the boys were doing what they did every day, just hanging out. She stated that someone walked up and opened fire, striking Jakody first as he sat on the steps, and then hitting Lamon as he came out of the apartment. Atlanta police investigators later confirmed that Lamon and Jakody were innocent bystanders with no ties to gangs. Detectives believe the shooting was the result of a dispute between two rival gangs, who were targeting each other in retaliation for a previous shooting that occurred during a music video shoot for the rapper Lil Baby in May 2024. Nearly 30 gunshots were fired, sending many children in the area ducking for cover.
In the months following the shooting, Atlanta police made a series of arrests. By February 2025, a total of seven suspects were in custody. The individuals arrested and facing charges in connection with the murders of Lamon Freeman and Jakody Davis include Tradon Crawford, Ali Caldwell, Quiyontay Sanders, Richard Hollis, Reginald Thomas, Dekeitheon Mobley, and Markus Crawford. The investigation was aided by surveillance videos and a $50,000 reward offered by Crime Stoppers Atlanta for information leading to an arrest.
