In the late hours of October 29, 2023, the life of 21-year-old Brianna Long, a female Valdosta State University student, was tragically cut short. Long was working as a bartender at The Pier Bar in Remerton, Georgia, and was in the process of closing for the night when gunfire erupted outside. A stray bullet penetrated the establishment, striking and killing the young student who was studying to become a dental hygienist. Another male employee was also wounded in the incident but thankfully recovered from his injuries.
The investigation into Long's senseless death continued for over a year, with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Remerton Police Department working to bring those responsible to justice. A significant breakthrough in the case came in February 2025 with the announcement that two men, 23-year-old Tsion Clayton and 21-year-old Kimone Green, both of Lowndes County, were being charged with malice murder in connection with her death. At the time the charges were announced, both suspects were already incarcerated on separate and unrelated cases, with one being held in Georgia and the other in Florida.
Investigators believe that Long was not the intended target of the shooting. It is thought that Clayton and Green were in the area that night in search of another individual connected to an ongoing gang dispute. The shooting that claimed Brianna Long's life was allegedly part of this conflict.
Further legal action followed in March 2025, when Clayton and Green were among seven individuals named in a 44-count racketeering indictment. This indictment targeted an alleged gang known as '528,' which has been linked to various violent crimes in the Valdosta area, including murder, robbery, and assault. The investigation remains active, with the possibility of additional charges being filed as the case progresses. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be handed over to the Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for prosecution.
