Clayton County police believe the co-owner of a Griffin funeral home shot and killed his brother-in-law during an early-morning argument at a family get-together.
The shooting happened just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday at a home on the 9900 block of Chappell Lane.
“Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered that Timothy Lee Watkins allegedly shot his brother-in-law, Kenneth Marshall Jr., while both were attending a family gathering,” Clayton County police Officer Jamine Moton said in an email.
Marshall died from multiple gunshot wounds, and a second man, identified as Marquis Fletcher, sustained a non-life threatening wound when he was hit by a stray bullet. Fletcher was not a part of the dispute, Moton said.
Watkins, 44, was arrested on multiple charges, including one count of murder and two counts of aggravated assault. Details about what may have led to the argument were not immediately available.
Watkins is the co-owner of Davis & Watkins Professional Funeral Services on Melrose Avenue in Griffin.
In an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the funeral home declined “to reply with any extensive information at this time due to the sensitivity of the situation and with respect for his wife and children and to the other families involved.”
The email, which was signed only “Mrs. Watkins,” added “the other owner will carry on with daily business.”
Davis & Watkins Professional Funeral Services is not associated with the well-known Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, which operates six locations in the metro Atlanta area.
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