In the late hours of a late summer evening in Sparta, Georgia, a community gathering turned into a scene of tragedy, forever altering the lives of many. On September 16, 2023, Kendrez Raashun Mayweather, a 29-year-old Black male, was fatally shot amidst a chaotic altercation that he was not a part of. The father of a young child, Mayweather was an innocent bystander at a party in the Sanders Quarters area when violence erupted.
The evening had begun with a party where an argument broke out between two women. The dispute escalated, drawing in two men and fueling a tense atmosphere exacerbated by alcohol. The confrontation spilled over to a second location, where several people had gathered. It was there that the verbal sparring tragically turned deadly. Gunfire erupted from multiple directions, sending attendees scattering for cover. In the mayhem, a bullet struck Mayweather. There was no evidence to suggest that he was the intended target or that he was involved in the initial conflict.
In the aftermath of the shooting, investigators from the Hancock County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation worked to piece together the events of that fatal night. Their investigation led them to identify Laterious Deshawn Womble, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, as the individual responsible for Mayweather's death. A Hancock County grand jury later indicted Womble on multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. One of the aggravated assault charges was in connection to another individual at the party.
Ultimately, Womble, then 19, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. In December 2024, a Hancock County Superior Court judge sentenced him to 25 years, with the first 18 years to be served in confinement. He will receive credit for time already served and will be on probation following his release. During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that while Womble initially denied being present at the scene and having a gun, he later admitted to his grandmother in a jail call that he had fired into the air. Magazines for a Taurus handgun were also discovered in his backpack at his residence. The community mourned the loss of Kendrez Mayweather, holding a Celebration of Life Service at the Warren Chapel AME Church in Sparta a week after his untimely death.
