In the early morning hours of April 27, 2024, the life of 17-year-old ShaQuvais Quay Dean, a Black male, was tragically cut short in his hometown of Macon, Georgia. The incident unfolded in the parking lot of a Planet Fitness on Tom Hill Sr. Boulevard, where a large fight had broken out shortly before 2:00 a.m. Responding to reports of the altercation, Bibb County Sheriff's deputies arrived to find a chaotic scene and discovered Dean suffering from a gunshot wound.
Emergency medical services were immediately dispatched, and Dean was rushed to a local hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he was pronounced dead upon arrival by the coroner. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office launched a homicide investigation into the events that led to the fatal shooting.
The investigation progressed, and on May 3, 2024, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force, announced the apprehension of two suspects. Twenty-one-year-old Daeshawn Markell Hardwick and 20-year-old Jaylon Emanuel Stephens were taken into custody following the execution of search and arrest warrants at a residence on Swan Drive.
Hardwick was charged with murder in connection with Dean's death. Stephens also faced a murder charge, in addition to pre-existing warrants for various firearms and gang-related offenses. Authorities have indicated that the investigation is ongoing and that further charges against the suspects are possible. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office has continued to appeal to the public for any additional information regarding the incident.
