Man, woman arrested after deadly double shooting in SW Atlanta
Officers arrested a man and woman on murder charges Tuesday in connection with a double shooting in southwest Atlanta, police said.
Antonio Lamar Martin, 41, of Atlanta, and Samantha Ariel Gardner, 29, of Powder Springs, were charged in the shooting that killed Shadeeah Melton and wounded Fatima Jefferson, Atlanta police said in a news release. The duo turned themselves in after investigators obtained the warrants against them.
The shooting took place about 8:30 p.m. Friday in the 100 block of Fairburn Road, AJC.com previously reported. Both victims were shot multiple times.
RELATED: 1 woman killed, another critically injured in SW Atlanta shooting
Melton died after being taken to a hospital. Police last described Jefferson’s condition as critically injured.
Investigators have not released a motive for the shooting but believe the victims were involved in an argument with a suspect before being shot. Witnesses also spotted a black SUV speed away from the scene after the gunfire.
Police did not say how investigators tied Martin and Gardner to the homicide.
Both suspects were charged with a count of murder and aggravated assault, Fulton County Jail records show. Gardner also faces a firearm possession charge, while Martin faces an additional aggravated assault count and a possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge.
Martin spent more than 11 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated assault, armed robbery, burglary and theft by conversion in Fulton County, Georgia Department of Corrections records show. His prison sentence ended in 2010.
The suspects remain in jail without bond, records show.
In other news:
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
