In the summer of 2023, a late-night shooting in a Gwinnett County parking lot left a young man dead and unraveled a complex and surprising investigation. Twenty-one-year-old Harris Baysassie, a male from Lilburn, was found with a gunshot wound on July 17, 2023, in the parking area shared by an Applebee's and an O'Reilly Auto Parts on Stone Mountain Highway.
He was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive his injuries.
The initial investigation into the shootout, which occurred around 10:30 p.m., quickly led to the arrests of two teenagers, 19-year-old Nyzerrius Carter and 17-year-old Tristyn Derriun Mays. Investigators were led to the pair after Carter's car, which had been damaged by bullets during the exchange of gunfire, was taken to a body shop for repairs. Both Carter and Mays were initially charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with Baysassie's death. Carter also faced a charge of tampering with evidence.
In a dramatic turn of events, Gwinnett County police announced in August that the murder and aggravated assault charges against Carter and Mays had been dropped. The investigation had shifted its focus to a new suspect: Harris Baysassie's own 17-year-old brother, Yousaf Baysassie. Authorities issued warrants for Yousaf's arrest on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.
While cleared of the murder charges, Carter and Mays still faced legal trouble. Carter is still charged with tampering with evidence. Mays also faces a charge of tampering with evidence, as well as possession of a firearm by a person under 18. As of the latest reports, Yousaf Baysassie had not been taken into custody.
