On the night of January 28, 2023, Alan Dale Huguley Jr., a 30-year-old African American male, was fatally shot while sitting in his car in the parking lot of a Quality Inn on Jameson Drive in LaGrange, Georgia. Just before midnight, two masked individuals approached his vehicle and fired at least 21 shots, striking Huguley twelve times. He was quickly transported to WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
LaGrange Police Department investigators immediately began working to identify the two unknown assailants who had fled the scene. Surveillance footage from the area provided descriptions of the suspects. One was described as a heavy-set Black male wearing blue jeans, a black hoodie, and blue and white Air Jordan tennis shoes. The second individual was described as a thin Black male dressed in all black with black and white tennis shoes.
The investigation led authorities to 23-year-old Lateef Jamil Moreland of Valdosta, Georgia. He was arrested on August 10, 2023, and charged with murder. During Moreland's trial, prosecutors presented evidence suggesting the murder was a 'hit' intended to elevate his status within the Gangster Disciples street gang. Surveillance footage from a convenience store on the day of the murder showed Moreland, without a mask, wearing the same clothing as one of the shooters. Furthermore, ballistics testing matched a distinctive teal-colored Taurus handgun, found in Moreland's possession during an unrelated investigation, to the shell casings recovered from the murder scene. Digital evidence from social media also connected Moreland to the weapon.
On May 17, 2024, a Troup County jury convicted Lateef Jamil Moreland on multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and violations of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. His sentencing was scheduled for June 5, 2024. The second suspect involved in the shooting of Alan Huguley Jr. has not been publicly identified or apprehended, and the LaGrange Police Department continues to seek information regarding their identity.
