Malik Ford was a 20-year-old Black man from Albany, Georgia, described by those who knew him as someone with a great personality who could brighten anyone’s day. His life ended after an exchange of gunfire on the evening of May 13, 2021, at about 8:30 p.m. in the 500 block of Hickory Lane. Malik was struck in the back of the head by a bullet, taken to a local hospital, and died from his injuries.

Albany Police opened a homicide investigation that produced several arrests. On May 20, 2021, police arrested 18-year-old Munir Salim Flood; later Jakobe King, 17, and 18-year-old Kadafi Simone Brown were also arrested. The district attorney’s office said the shooting was a shootout between two rival groups, the Blockos and the Purps, and reported Malik was affiliated with the Blockos and was likely killed by friendly fire. Investigators determined Munir Flood had not fired a weapon and his charges were dismissed. On January 8, 2024, Kadafi Brown and Jakobe King pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; prosecutors said they could face up to 15 years in prison.

Does anyone who knew Malik or who was in that neighborhood on May 13, 2021, have information that could add detail to what happened that night?