On the night of his high school prom, a promising young athlete's life was cut short in a burst of gunfire. Daryus Bryant, a 16-year-old Black male, was a junior at Manchester High School in Georgia, where he was known as an exceptional student and athlete. He excelled in both football and basketball and was the reigning high jump track champion. His father, who was also the offensive coordinator for the football team, said his son had a bright future and was already receiving college offers.
The Meriwether County School System described him as an "exceptional young man who excelled in both athletics and academics."
On April 20, 2024, Daryus was leaving his prom in Columbus, Georgia. Around 11:50 p.m., while stopped at a red light near the intersection of Macon and Lake Shore roads, a third vehicle drove by and someone inside opened fire on two cars carrying students. Daryus and a classmate, Clarence Flavors, were both shot. They were rushed to Piedmont Hospital, where Flavors was taken into surgery. Daryus was pronounced dead at 12:53 a.m., just one week before what would have been his 17th birthday.
For months, the community mourned as the investigation continued. Daryus's father made public pleas for anyone with information to come forward, expressing the family's profound loss. By August 2024, he was offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. At the time, the Columbus Police Department, working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, announced they had suspects from the Manchester and Talbot County area.
Eventually, authorities arrested three men in connection with the shooting: Zion Horton, Jaquan Mahone, and Semaj Copeland. The case went to trial, and in May 2026, a jury found all three defendants guilty of murder.
Following the convictions, Zion Horton and Jaquan Mahone were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for malice murder. In July 2026, Semaj Copeland received his sentence. Prosecutors said Copeland had acted as the driver of the car during the shooting but was not in possession of a gun. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, bringing the case to a close.
