On the evening of January 6, 2016, 15-year-old Jaylon Maddox was shot while walking with a 27-year-old friend, Justin Sellers, on Ember Drive in DeKalb County, Georgia. A white car approached; Bruce Howard opened fire during what authorities described as a robbery attempt. Both victims were struck multiple times. Jaylon, a student at McNair Middle School, was taken to a hospital and died of his injuries. Sellers survived but was critically injured. The attackers fled the scene.

Using a partial vehicle description provided by Sellers, investigators located and arrested 29-year-old Bruce Howard on January 8, 2016. Police said they believed Howard did not act alone, though only Howard was charged. In March 2017 a jury convicted Howard of murder, felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; he was sentenced to life plus 35 years. Jaylon’s parents later sued the owners of Creekside Forest Apartment Homes, alleging lax security; the former owner agreed to a $3 million settlement in October 2018.