Police are seeking two men in connection with a deadly shooting Monday outside a Carrabba’s restaurant near Cumberland Mall  in Cobb County.

The victim was identified as Mezaio Pickett, 26, Smyrna police spokesman Louis Defense said Tuesday.

“Preliminary information suggests this was a Craigslist transaction that ended up going wrong,” Defense told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday.

Pickett died at WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center about 2:30 p.m., Defense said. He had a gunshot wound to his upper body.

Police gave the following descriptions of the men they are seeking:

  • One is 6 feet to 6-foot-3, thin, and with a close-cropped haircut. He was last seen wearing a sleeveless North Carolina blue shirt, North Carolina blue shorts and North Carolina edition Air Jordan sneakers.
  • One was thin, had hair with a small twist and was wearing glasses.

The men drove from the scene in a small, older model, four-door sedan, possibly a Nissan Altima, with heavy fading on the trunk, Defense said. The car was last seen on Cumberland Boulevard heading toward Cumberland Parkway at a high rate of speed.

Anyone with information is asked to call Smyrna police at 770-434-6666. Information will be confidential. Tipsters can also remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting crimestoppersatlanta.org.

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