In the summer of 2023, the city of Brunswick, Georgia, was unsettled by a string of violence that claimed the life of 35-year-old Robert Antonio Slay. A Black male, Slay was fatally shot on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. His body was discovered inside a residence in the 1100 block of I Street, leaving a community to grapple with another life lost to gun violence.
Affectionately known as “Pee Wee” to his family, Robert Slay was a Brunswick resident and a 2007 graduate of Brunswick High
School. His death came just a week after the shooting death of 16-year-old My'kal Ellis, a Brunswick High School football player, in a nearby area. Reports indicate that Slay was a family friend of the Ellis family, a connection that intertwined the two tragedies and deepened the community's sense of loss and unease.
In the wake of the shooting, the Brunswick Police Department identified Slay as the victim and launched a homicide investigation. Authorities appealed to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible for his death. While the investigation into Slay's murder was ongoing, developments were made in the case of My'kal Ellis. An arrest was made, and a murder warrant was issued for a suspect in connection with the teenager's death. However, specific arrests or publicly identified suspects in the shooting of Robert Antonio Slay have not been announced.
The back-to-back shootings of Slay and Ellis left the Brunswick community on edge. Family and friends of Slay gathered for a vigil to remember him, sharing memories of a man they described as quiet, humble, and a dedicated family man. His death, so closely following another violent act, highlighted the urgent concerns about safety and the devastating impact of gun violence on the city. The investigation into the death of Robert Antonio Slay continues as his loved ones and the wider community await answers and seek justice.
