In the early morning hours of November 6, 2020, a dispute outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge at 255 Trinity Avenue in downtown Atlanta escalated into a shootout that left 34-year-old Mark Blakely of Chicago dead. The altercation began after two groups left the Opium Nightclub and congregated at the hookah lounge; a verbal argument turned violent and gunfire broke out around 4 a.m. Six people were shot in total.

Two off-duty Atlanta police officers working security at the lounge and one on-duty officer who was nearby engaged with people at the scene, and shots were fired by police. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to conduct an independent inquiry into the officers’ use of force. Several arrests followed: Timothy Leeks, then 22, was charged in connection with the death of Dayvon Bennett (known as King Von) though reports indicate that murder charges against Leeks were dismissed in 2023; Johnny Harris was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and Kevin Jones faced aggravated assault charges. It has not been publicly clarified who was responsible for Mark Blakely’s death.

Did anyone witness the parking lot confrontation or have information about who fired the shots that killed Mark Blakely?