On a summer evening in 2023, Quentavious Gooden, a 28-year-old Black / African American man from Atlanta, Georgia, was fatally shot. The incident occurred on July 13th in the Buffington Park subdivision of South Fulton. Gooden, a husband and father of two, had been on his way to his grandmother's house when he stopped to speak with a man named Rodney Jarrell.
Witnesses reported that the conversation between Gooden and Jarrell, which took place on the 6100 block of Lamp Post Place,
appeared to be brief and friendly. However, as Gooden began to drive away, Jarrell allegedly opened fire on his vehicle. When Gooden did not arrive at his grandmother's home as expected, his concerned family went looking for him and tragically discovered his car at the crime scene. South Fulton Police and a SWAT team responded to the scene and found Gooden's body in the roadway. The motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Following the incident, a significant police presence, including the deployment of a SWAT team, was established in the area due to concerns that the suspect might be holding hostages. It was later determined that the suspect had fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. An extensive manhunt for 31-year-old Rodney Jarrell ensued, with authorities describing him as 'armed and dangerous.'
Two days later, on July 15, 2023, Rodney Jarrell was taken into custody by law enforcement. He is currently being held at the Fulton County Jail, facing charges that include murder. The arrest brought a measure of relief to Gooden's grieving family, who have been seeking justice for their loved one. Gooden's funeral service was held on July 22, 2023, at the Living Faith Tabernacle Church in Forest Park, Georgia, with his burial at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.
