In the early summer of 2024, the life of 27-year-old Timothy Hunt, a male from Naylor, Georgia, was tragically cut short. On Sunday, June 2nd, Hunt was shot and killed at a residence on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Lakeland, Lanier County, Georgia. The incident prompted an investigation by the Lakeland Police Department, who subsequently requested the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
For several weeks, the case remained under active investigation with no immediate arrests made, leaving a community and a grieving family searching for answers. The GBI, along with local law enforcement, diligently worked to piece together the events that led to Hunt's untimely death. Their collaborative efforts, which included assistance from the Lanier County Sheriff's Office, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, and the Georgia State Patrol, were crucial in the subsequent breakthrough in the case.
On June 26, 2024, the GBI announced the arrests of four teenagers from Lakeland in connection with the homicide of Timothy Hunt. The suspects were identified as 17-year-old Tommy Manning and three 16-year-olds: J'mari Gates, Keamon Grant, and Kavion Brown. The charges brought against them were extensive and severe. Manning, Gates, and Grant each face four counts of Party to the Crime of Murder, four counts of Party to the Crime of Aggravated Assault, Party to the Crime of Armed Robbery, and Violations of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Kavion Brown was charged with Party to the Crime of Aggravated Assault, Party to the Crime of Armed Robbery, and Violations of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Following their arrests, the four teenagers were booked at the Lanier County Sheriff's Office. They are currently housed in various facilities; Tommy Manning is in the Coffee County Jail, J'mari Gates is at the Savannah Youth Detention Center, and both Keamon Grant and Kavion Brown are being held at the Waycross Youth Detention Center. The investigation is ongoing, and upon its completion, the case file will be turned over to the Alapaha District Attorney's Office for review and potential prosecution.
