A 19-year-old has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy during a fight at a Clayton County apartment complex last month.

The victim, Terence Denson, was found June 21 with multiple gunshot wounds in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the 1900 block of Garden Wood Court, according to Clayton police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators now believe Ahmad Royal shot and killed Denson during an argument with him and Royal’s ex-girlfriend, according to a news release.

Denson was a rising 10th grade student at Midtown High School, Atlanta Public Schools confirmed.

Royal was initially identified by investigators as a person of interest in the case June 24 after being charged with battery family violence in connection with the fight with his ex-girlfriend. At the time, police said he was a member or affiliate of the Lincoln Bloods street gang.

No other details have been released by police.

Royal is facing charges of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He was arrested Tuesday and is being held without bond in the Clayton County jail.

About the Author

Featured

Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com