On the evening of July 26, 2022, a gathering outside the Waverly Pointe Townhouses on Forest Hill Road in Macon, Georgia, was shattered by gunfire. Jayden Ellington, a 17-year-old Black male, was present when the shooting erupted around 7:15 p.m. He was fatally wounded in the attack. A second person, 26-year-old Roctavia Edwards, was also killed, while two other teenagers, 17-year-old Devin Washington and 18-year-old Christian Edwards, were hospitalized with injuries. Those who knew Jayden remembered him as a "very good kid" who would be "truly missed."
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into the deadly violence. As deputies canvassed the apartment complex to ensure there were no other victims, they noticed a bullet hole in the front door of one of the townhouses.
Upon entering to check on the welfare of anyone inside, investigators saw marijuana in plain view, which prompted them to obtain a search warrant for the home.
The subsequent search uncovered a significant amount of marijuana, as well as several handguns, rifles, and an abundance of ammunition. While deputies were at the scene, a woman identified as 37-year-old Shaqwonda Lakisha Russell approached and told them she lived in the townhouse. She was taken into custody. Her boyfriend, 38-year-old Kenneth Eugene Williams Jr., was identified as the other occupant. He had left the complex after the shooting but was located and arrested two days later.
Both Williams and Russell were booked into the Bibb County Jail and held without bond. Investigators charged Kenneth Williams Jr. with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault. Shaqwonda Russell was charged with one count of murder as a party to the crime. Both also faced multiple drug and weapons charges.
In October 2022, a grand jury formally indicted both Kenneth Williams Jr. and Shaqwonda Russell on multiple counts, including murder, for their alleged roles in the shooting. As of that month, the case against them was proceeding through the legal system.
