On the morning of Friday, September 13, 2024, gunfire was reported at a home in the 1200 block of Royal Street in Thomson, Georgia. Deputies with the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office found 39-year-old Calvin Lee Hart Jr., a Black man known as Cap, deceased from gunshot wounds; the coroner pronounced him dead at 6:00 a.m. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to lead the homicide probe, and authorities initially asked the public for information about what happened.

Hart, a 2003 Thomson High School graduate described as a loving son and father, left behind family and friends stunned by his sudden, violent death. A major development came four days later on September 17, 2024, when the GBI and McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office announced arrests of four Thomson men: Antavious Griffin, 20, and Tyreon Mew, 18, plus 18-year-old Jatavious Griffin and 19-year-old Tony Griffin. Charges reported included Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime, Unlawful Possession of Firearms or Weapons, and Participation in Criminal Street Gang Activity. All four were booked into the McDuffie County Jail and the case was to be referred to the Toombs Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Are there details about the early-morning timeline or witnesses in the neighborhood that could help clarify what happened?