ATLANTA — The suspect accused in the deadly shooting that claimed the lives of two young people at a Buckhead nightclub in early May appeared in court on Friday.
Karanji Reese, 21, had a preliminary hearing to determine if there was enough evidence to bring the charges against him.
Prosecutors showed never-before-seen surveillance video from inside the Elleven45 shooting on May 12 in court. It showed the events that led up to the shooting and the aftermath. Viewers can see the terrifying moments when shots were fired, and people scurried throughout the club.
Detective Latoya Francis, with the City of Atlanta Police Department Homicide Unit, walked the judge and the court through the events of the shooting.
The shooting happened on Mother's Day. The suspect is accused of opening fire at the club and shooting six people: 21-year-old Mari Creighton, who was an Albany State University volleyball player, 20-year-old Nakyris M. Ridley died, and four others were hurt.
"What upsets me the most is my daughter was out enjoying her niece’s birthday. And so because two people that she doesn’t know had a disagreement, she’s no longer here. And she’s missing out on so much," said Tracey Eason, Creighton's mother. "And that hurts me that she’s missing out on life. She was just 21. Just starting to enjoy her life. And someone else’s issues cost her her life."
Eason along with other family members were in court on Friday.
"Moving forward, I want the club to be closed, I feel like they need to have tighter security, and I feel like if guns are brought in, the security guys, they should also be prosecuted, because they were negligent in their job," said Eason. "So if you’re negligent or don’t do your job, you get fired. They were negligent, and they cost my daughter her life. I feel like they should also be in jail."
Arrest warrants indicate video from inside shows Ridley and the suspect got into a fight before the gunfire broke out. Reese is accused of "pulling out a gun and recklessly firing it" before he left the scene.
"The male in the black pants and olive green hoodie is firing his weapon," the detective said as she walked the courtroom through the video.
The surveillance video shown in court also showed the moments before the shooting where one of the victims, Ridley, appeared to throw a punch at the suspect, according to Francis' testimony.
Francis said she spoke with one of the security guards for the club, and they told her that they noticed people huddling around each other but did not realize they were fighting.
Prosecutors also showed a surveillance video outside the club in the back parking lot, which allegedly showed the suspect walking into the club before the shooting.
Defense attorneys also questioned Francis about how she and her team were able to identify Reese as the suspect. She said she saw other photos from that night matching the description of the suspect.
Reese turned himself in early June, weeks after the shooting.
"Reese... knowingly and intentionally did shoot and kill Nakyris Ridley," warrants stated. "In the process, Karanji Reese did shoot and kill... Creighton."
Reese's family, maintains his innocence.
"It’s very terrible. APD needs to do their job instead of going by hearsay from the streets because Karanji did not do that. He’s innocent," said one Reese family member outside the courthouse.
She later described Reese as a laid back, fun-loving guy.
"He’s not aggressive. He’s not that type of person," she said. "They just trying to put it on him because of what they’re hearing in the street. They need to do their job and find the real shooter."
He faces murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to APD.
On Friday, the court found probable cause for the charges he was facing, ultimately allowing the case to continue.
"Today, I’m happy that it was probable cause," said Eason. "I don’t want him or anyone else involved to ever see the day of light because my daughter won’t. It still won’t bring her back. I’ll still feel the same grief. But I don’t want them to enjoy their lives."
Reese's bond hearing was supposed to happen earlier this week, but it was rescheduled to July 2.