In the early morning of Wednesday, February 14, 2024, a shooting at the Relax Inn on US Highway 301 in Claxton, Georgia, left 27-year-old Shalonde A’Jessica Stevens of Statesboro dead. Claxton police and the Evans County Sheriff’s Office responded to 911 calls around 7:00 a.m.; officers found four people with gunshot wounds. Stevens and 26-year-old Taylor Samone Clark, also of Statesboro, were pronounced dead at the hotel. Two other victims were injured and have not been publicly identified.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to lead the inquiry and transported the bodies of Stevens and Clark to the GBI Crime Lab for autopsies. A few days later, a suspect, 23-year-old Celeste Denise Adams of Waynesboro, turned herself in and was arrested; the GBI charged her with two counts of murder, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Shalonde, known affectionately as Suga, was born in Statesboro, graduated from Statesboro High School in 2015, loved dancing and was remembered for her vivacious spirit and infectious wit. Funeral services were held at Miller Grove Baptist Church with interment at Magnolia Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery. Does anyone have information about what happened at the Relax Inn that morning or knew Shalonde and can help shed light on her last hours?