In the early evening of a summer day in Savannah, Georgia, the life of Kewan Javonte Graham, a 20-year-old Black man, was tragically cut short. Remembered by his family for his "smile and goofy nature," Graham was fatally wounded in a shooting on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The incident unfolded around 7:45 p.m. in the 600 block of Brewer Street in the city's Kayton-Frazier neighborhood. When Savannah Police Department officers arrived, they found Graham with life-threatening gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to Memorial Health University Center, but he succumbed to his injuries. A second victim, an adult female, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting.
The investigation quickly led to the identification of suspects. Within a day of the shooting, police arrested 20-year-old Zymeal Richardson. Shortly after, a second suspect, 19-year-old Travon Shellman, was also taken into custody. The third and final suspect, 20-year-old Jyshavis Robinson, was arrested on August 6, 2024. All three men were initially charged with murder and aggravated assault for their alleged roles in the incident.
On September 4, 2024, a Chatham County grand jury formally indicted Richardson, Shellman, and Robinson on multiple offenses. The charges for all three men included malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and numerous firearm possession counts related to the death of Kewan Graham and the injury of the female victim.
In April 2026, the case went to trial, and a jury found Zymeal Richardson, Jyshavis Robinson, and Travon Shellman guilty on all charges, including malice murder. The following month, in May 2026, all three men were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus an additional 20 years. As of their sentencing, all three convicted men had requested new trials.
