The basketball games between Mary Persons High School and Jackson High School will be played Friday night without fans, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said, after information was received of possible retaliatory violence after a shooting Sunday night at a Forsyth shopping center.
Tarmaine Jontavion Bowden, 17, of Forsyth shot and killed Cedric James Mayes, 17, of Forsyth at a Walmart, according to a news release from the GBI.
School administrators decided to cancel all junior varsity games Friday night between the schools, according to the sheriff’s office. The girls varsity game was scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m., with the boys varsity game to follow.
Fans who purchased tickets through the GoFan app will receive a refund, according to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office.
Saturday’s home contests against Howard are still scheduled, according to the post, but the JV games have been canceled. The girls varsity game is set to begin at noon, with the boys varsity game scheduled at 1:30 p.m. To ensure safety, fans will need to pass through metal detection devices, according to the Facebook post.
At 6:12 p.m. Sunday, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center received a call from someone inside Walmart indicating a person was firing shots inside the store, according to the news release. Monroe County deputies and Forsyth officers responded to the scene.
Credit: Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Bowden and Mayes began arguing in the produce section, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The argument continued into the frozen food section. Bowden then pulled out a pistol and shot Mayes several times, according to the sheriff’s office.
Mayes’ body was scheduled to be taken to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy.
Anyone with information can provide anonymous tips by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
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