An argument with a friend turned into a “exchange of gunfire” inside a parked car, killing a college baseball player from the Atlanta area, police said on Thursday.
Jatonne Sterling, a student at Clark Atlanta University, was discovered dead at about 1:40 in the afternoon outside the church of another Georgia university, which is about a mile away from the 20-year-campus. old’s
Keontay Holliman-Peoples, his alleged killer, was charged with murder, aggravated assault, and other offences on Thursday.
Cops believe the two were engaged in an argument inside a car when Holliman-Peoples, 25, allegedly pulled the trigger, though a motive for the killing has not yet been established.
Prior to “some type of dispute occurring,” Sterling allegedly climbed into a car that was parked inside the Catholic centre lot.
“Whatever type of dispute escalated into gunfire and then that’s where we had the exchange of gunfire. So everything happened inside that vehicle,” Atlanta police deputy chief Charles Hampton Jr. said.
Although Holliman-Peoples was shot during the gunfight, it’s not clear if Sterling shot him; instead, police are looking for a third person who was in the car at the time of the murder.
Prior to the fatal shooting, Sterling and Holliman-Peoples were acquainted and had “corresponded,” according to Hampton.
“This was not a random homicide,” the deputy chief said. “Unfortunately, Jatonne knew this individual.”
Cops said Holliman-Peoples — who isn’t a student at the university — has a criminal history spanning two states.
The Chicago native was remembered as a standout player and athlete.
“I got to bury another ball player,” said Sterling’s high school basketball coach Ernest Radcliffe told ABC 7. “We’re not supposed to do that.”
