After weeks of tense investigation following a deadly shooting in Southwest Atlanta, the suspect has surrendered to authorities. Markius Gillspsie, 23, turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail on May 10, facing charges of murder, aggravated assault, and theft by taking, as reported by FOX5 Atlanta. The incident, which took place on January 6, claimed the life of a 19-year-old male over a dispute believed to be about a cellphone.
Gillspsie was identified by the Atlanta Police Department as the main suspect in the shooting on Holderness Street SW, an altercation that investigators say was sparked by an argument over a mobile phone. The victim, suffering from a gunshot wound upon officers' arrival, was pronounced dead at the scene, indicating the grave and swift consequence of the confrontation. Those with any information are encouraged by officials to reach out to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tipline, as detailed by FOX5 Atlanta.
In a subsequent development, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed further chilling details of the case derived from Gillespie's arrest warrant. According to the warrant, the victim, Ashton Jackson, along with a female friend, had visited the address on Holderness Street to retrieve the phone of another woman—the phone had allegedly been taken by Gillespie, her boyfriend at the time. The warrant describes a harrowing sequence of events, with Gillespie "fired rounds into the air" and at the direction where Jackson stood, one of which struck him in the head. This account was affirmed by the friend present during the incident, who was told by Gillespie to run away after the shots were fired, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The Atlanta Police Department had publicized photos of Gillspsie last week, attempting to gather the necessary cooperation from the public to locate him. The female friend, who witnessed the tragic shooting, was able to positively identify Gillspsie from a photograph provided by the police. The woman whose cellphone gave rise to the tragic situation stated that Gillespie had taken it without her permission. As this case continues to unfold, authorities are asking anyone with more information to contact the Atlanta Police or Crime Stoppers Atlanta to help ensure justice is served.
