Facebook dispute leads to deadly shooting in Clayton County, cops say

A Clayton County man was arrested and charged with malice murder after police say a heated exchange on Facebook Messenger led to an in-person altercation and deadly shooting Monday afternoon.

Xavier Deantae Scott, 29, of Jonesboro, was arrested after police responded to a person shot call at Scott’s home in the 7000 block of Kevin Place, Clayton County police spokeswoman Sgt. Julia Isaac told AJC.com. The victim, 29-year-old Taylor Rymon Smith, was dead on the scene.

Isaac said the two men knew each other and got into a heated argument about a woman around midday on Facebook Messenger. They decided to meet in person, leading Scott to send Smith his address, according to police.

When Smith arrived at Scott’s house, there was another dispute and gunfire, Isaac said.

“Neighbors recall hearing two or three shots,” but it is unclear how many times Smith was shot, she said. The GBI has taken over that part of the investigation, according to police.

In addition to malice murder, Scott faces charges of aggravated assault and possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony, online jail records show. He remains in the Clayton County Jail without bond.