On the morning of February 21, 2023, Richard Antoine, a 47-year-old male, was driving to his job in his work vehicle in South Fulton, Georgia. In what has been described as an act of road rage, a confrontation occurred on Mallory Road off of Flat Shoals Road. Two men, later identified as 27-year-old Antonio Spear and 23-year-old McKinley Johnson, reportedly became angry with Antoine.
The situation escalated dramatically when Spear and Johnson allegedly used their vehicle to barricade
Antoine's car, preventing him from driving away. They then exited their vehicle and shot him. Police were called to the scene, and they found Antoine with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he died a short time later. The incident, which took place around 10 o'clock in the morning, left his family, including his five-year-old son, devastated and searching for answers.
Just over a week after the shooting, on March 2, 2023, the South Fulton Police Department arrested both Antonio Spear and McKinley Johnson in connection with Richard Antoine's death. Both men were charged with felony murder. In addition to the murder charge, Antonio Spear also faced a charge of aggravated assault. The arrests brought a sense of relief to Antoine's grieving family, who expressed their hope that justice would be served and that a similar tragedy would not befall another family.
