Keyvon Alexander Hardy was a 23-year-old Black man who was well-known and loved in his Albany, Georgia, community. His family described him as a young man who was passionate about his beliefs and who loved his family "to the moon and back." According to his mother, Cerissa Barber, his smile could brighten up a room. This light was tragically extinguished in a moment of violence that left his loved ones devastated.
On the afternoon of Friday, February 9, 2024, a dispute inside a Shell gas station convenience store on Old Dawson Road escalated into a fatal shooting. According to the Albany Police Department, the incident began around 4:28 p.m. with an altercation between three men inside the store. After the initial conflict, one of the men went out to his car. When Keyvon Hardy and the second man exited the store, an exchange of gunfire erupted in the parking lot.
Hardy was struck in the shootout and rushed to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. The second man involved in the exchange of gunfire, 23-year-old Kameron Jackson, was also shot. He was transported to the same hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and reported to be in stable condition. The third man involved in the initial dispute fled the scene before police arrived.
The investigation quickly led to arrests. After receiving medical treatment, Kameron Jackson was taken into custody and charged with murder in connection with Hardy's death. He was booked into the Dougherty County Jail. Police identified the man who fled as 24-year-old Aaron Santrez Edwards III and initiated a search. Edwards was soon located and apprehended. He was also charged with murder and transported to the Dougherty County Jail. At the time, police noted that more charges were pending.
In the days following the shooting, Hardy's mother spoke out about the family's profound loss and the anguish of delays she faced in being able to see her son's body. Albany's Chief of Police, Michael Persley, publicly apologized to the community for the violence that had unfolded in a public space where people go about their daily business. As of the arrests in February 2024, the case has entered the judicial process. Police have asked that anyone with information call Albany Area Crime Stoppers at (229) 436-TIPS or the Albany Police Department at (229) 431-2100.
