DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — A jury handed down a verdict on Wednesday against three men who are accused in the deadly Sweet 16 party shooting that killed two teens in Douglasville back in 2023.
Timothy Coleman Jr., Kingston Cottman, and Tahkel Beverly-Smart were each charged with murder in addition to several other charges for the shooting deaths of 15-year-old Samuel Moon and 14-year-old Ajanaye Hill in March of last year.
After a jury deliberated for more than a week, they found that all three defendants were found not guilty of murder. Two of the defendants, 18-year-old Cottman and 20-year-old Coleman, were found guilty of aggravated assault, violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of an illegal weapon.
Beverly-Smart was found guilty of violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act.
The three will be sentenced on Nov. 14.
Four defendants had already pleaded guilty prior to the trial with the agreement that they would testify against the other three defendants in the trial.
Michael Williams pleaded guilty to felony murder, aggravated assault, and violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole plus an additional five years.
Noah Bradley pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to 20 years with five years to serve in prison.
Chase McDowell pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Another defendant pleaded guilty to obstruction of an officer and was sentenced to serve 12 months.
More on the case
The shooting happened on Sitka Drive and Talkeetna Road on March 4, 2023. More than 100 teenagers were attending the party. Authorities said the homeowners shut down the party as it grew out of control. The shooting then happened about 50 yards away in the street of the cul-de-sac. Police said Ajanaye Hill and Samuel Moon were not the intended targets.
Hill was found lying in the street dead with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. Moon was critically injured at the scene, and first responders attempted to revive him at the scene before he died.
Law enforcement's investigation revealed that the defendants got out of the car armed prior to the shooting with "modified automatic weapons" and approached a high school student who had reposted a comment on social media referencing a fellow gang member's suicide, the release from the Douglas County District Attorney stated.
They approached to fight him in masks and began pistol-whipping him. The defendants then began to attack the high schooler in the middle of the crowd at the party and then began shooting with automatic weapons into the crowd of predominantly high schoolers.
They were all members of the Doubleback Gang, or DBG, a hybrid gang well-known in Cobb County, the Douglas County D.A.'s Office said.
The mother of Hill, Chanell White, addressed Bradley directly in the courtroom back when he was sentenced.
"Noah, you knew what you was doing, you knew what you was getting yourself into, moving forward, I pray that you choose your friends wisely."
White said she has a hole in her heart behind the loss.
"I can't sleep, I don't eat, I'm not working, you knew what you was doing, and you was gonna run for a whole year. You saw the news. She have a twin brother. She have a 12-year-old (sibling). I think about your actions next time."
Moon's loved ones, including his sisters, also spoke. His sister Catherine turned to the other defendants in court at one point and said to them collectively: "What is wrong with you? My brother is dead, and you bragged... you took something that meant everything to me."
Moon's mother said she has a wave of emotions.
"It's from anger, sadness, feeling sorry for the defendants as spiritual beings," she said. "But as a human mother of Samuel Micah Moon, may the devil have no mercy on your souls."