On a tragic Valentine's Day in Knoxville, Tennessee, a young man's life was cut short in a burst of gunfire. Rahleik R. Garcia, a 21-year-old Black / African American male from Johnson City, was found with a fatal gunshot wound on the afternoon of February 14, 2023. The incident unfolded around 5 p.m. on Badgett Drive, near Goins Drive, in the Lonsdale neighborhood.
When officers from the Knoxville Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered Garcia, who was pronounced dead where he lay. Garcia had been sitting in the passenger seat of a Toyota Camry outside an apartment building when he was ambushed and shot.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to multiple assailants who had reportedly fled the scene after the attack. Within a couple of weeks, the Knoxville Police Department made a series of arrests. The first suspect, 18-year-old Iran Lyons, was apprehended at his home on February 25, 2023. Two days later, on February 27, 20-year-old Na'Kelin McAfee was taken into custody. The third and final suspect, 19-year-old Javari Jackson-Allen, was arrested on March 3. All three men were charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and employing a firearm during a dangerous felony.
The motive behind the deadly encounter appeared to stem from a planned rendezvous concerning a profitable scam that another individual in the car with Garcia was involved in. This individual, Jerriah Love, was chased by the assailants but managed to escape. The subsequent legal proceedings brought convictions for all three men arrested in connection with Garcia's death. Iran Lyons and Javari Jackson-Allen were convicted and are serving sentences in Tennessee prisons. The final defendant, Na'Kelin McAfee, was found guilty of felony murder, first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and other counts. On his 22nd birthday, he received an automatic life sentence in prison.
Known as 'Rah' to his loved ones, Rahleik Garcia was remembered as a son, father, brother, and friend with a gift for making people laugh. He was a father to two young sons and was described as a loving and compassionate person who cherished his family. A graduate of Science Hill High School where he played football and basketball, he had an entrepreneurial spirit and a creative side, enjoying writing music.
