In the late afternoon of May 28, 2023, a day that began like any other in southeast Atlanta, turned tragically violent for 48-year-old Fredrick Key. A Black/African American man, Key found himself near a small grocery store on Conley Road SE just before 4 p.m. It was in this ordinary setting that his life was cut short in a sudden act of violence. Atlanta Police Department officers, who were flagged down in the area, discovered Key suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Emergency
services were quickly on the scene, and Key was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, his injuries proved to be too severe, and he ultimately succumbed to his wounds. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed his identity. Though he had been living in Atlanta, Key was a native of Eufaula, Alabama, and his passing was a deep loss to those who knew him in both communities.
The investigation into the shooting led the Fulton County Sheriff's Office to identify a suspect in the fatal incident. Antonio Coachman was subsequently arrested and faced a series of serious charges in connection with Key's death. The charges brought against him included murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, painting a grim picture of the final moments of Fredrick Key's life.
