Mariam Mari Creighton was 21 when she was fatally shot inside the Elleven45 Lounge in Buckhead, Atlanta, on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2024. She was at the club with family celebrating her niece’s birthday when a fight inside the venue escalated to gunfire around 2:30 a.m.; Creighton was an innocent bystander struck by a bullet. Another person, 20-year-old Nakyris Ridley, was also killed; police later said Ridley was the intended target. Four other patrons were wounded and survived.

In the weeks after the shooting police identified a suspect. Karanji Reese, 21, surrendered to Atlanta police on June 5, 2024, and faces charges including murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. A judge denied bond and he remains in custody awaiting trial. The nightclub had a history of violent incidents, and residents had petitioned for its closure.

Creighton’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against club owner Djibril Dafe and affiliated companies, alleging lax security allowed an armed person inside; after the defendants did not contest the claims the family received a $66.5 million default judgment. A Fulton County judge also found the nightclub was operating illegally, ordered it shut down, and later declared it a public nuisance.