A dispute inside a fast-food restaurant in Lithonia, Georgia, turned fatal on the evening of February 6, 2024, ending the life of Kenyon Jones, a 24-year-old Black man. The incident began with a verbal altercation between Jones and another man inside a Zaxby's on Panola Road.
The argument spilled out from the restaurant into the parking lot. An employee had reportedly attempted to de-escalate the conflict, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Once outside, the other man allegedly followed Jones, pulled out a handgun, and shot him. After the shooting, the assailant physically assaulted Jones before fleeing the scene on foot.
DeKalb County police officers responded to a call just before 9 p.m. and found Jones with two gunshot wounds to his back.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries but ultimately succumbed to his wounds.
In the weeks that followed, investigators released surveillance images of a suspect they described as armed and dangerous, asking for the public’s help with his identification. Police believed the man lived in the vicinity of the restaurant and was frequently seen in the area. On March 1, 2024, the DeKalb County Police Department announced that their detectives had identified and arrested a suspect. The man was identified as 34-year-old Jarrett Perkins, who was arrested for the murder of Kenyon Jones. As of March 2024, the case was proceeding through the judicial system.
