Byron De’Juan Petty, 22, was shot dead in Columbus, Georgia, on January 7, 2021. His body was found at the intersection of 14th Avenue and 16th Street with five gunshot wounds to the throat, stomach, and back. Petty was a 2017 graduate of New Hope High School and had attended Rust College; family remembered him as loving and kind with a bright smile.

According to court testimony, the shooting occurred during a reported drug transaction in which Jaquarius Cole, 20, had arranged to sell marijuana to Petty. A struggle over a handgun inside Cole’s vehicle left both men wounded; Cole had a gunshot wound to his upper right thigh. Investigators recovered shell casings around the car, two guns belonging to Cole, Petty’s handgun, 16 ounces of marijuana, and $5,000 in cash.

Cole was arrested and charged with felony murder, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He pleaded not guilty in March 2021; his lawyer said Cole acted in self-defense, claiming Petty pulled a gun and shot first. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to come forward.