Moments after playing in a basketball game Wednesday night, two Milton High School students were arrested on murder charges in what authorities said was a botched robbery during a drug deal that killed a 24-year-old man.
Now, one of the teenagers has been dropped by the university where he had signed to play NCAA basketball, the school announced.
Cameron Walker, 17, and Jonathan Murray, 18, were taken into custody by Alpharetta police and the North Fulton SWAT team. They also face charges of criminal attempt to commit armed robbery in the Oct. 14 shooting death of Connor Mediate, a recent Kennesaw State University graduate.
Walker and Murray are members of Milton’s varsity basketball team and played in Wednesday’s 83-47 win over Roswell prior to their arrests. Walker, who signed with George Mason University on Nov. 10, scored 17 points in the defending state champions’ victory. In a statement released Thursday evening, a representative for George Mason athletics said Walker’s offer had been rescinded.
“We are devastated that a young person in Georgia lost his life and we send our heartfelt condolences to his family,” the statement said. “We take these matters with the utmost level of seriousness. Cameron Walker’s family has been notified that he can no longer be considered for admission into the George Mason University men’s basketball program.”
Both teens are being held without bond in the Fulton County Jail.
According to arrest warrants obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Walker had planned to meet Mediate in a parking deck outside the Collingwood Apartments to purchase drugs. Alpharetta police found marijuana and THC vape pen cartridges inside Mediate’s apartment, and cellphone records showed evidence of recent drug transactions brokered over Snapchat and Telegram messages, according to the warrant.
Walker arrived at the complex in his father’s maroon Porsche Panamera the night of Mediate’s death. According to Alpharetta police, cellphone records show Murray was with Walker before and after Mediate was shot around 9 p.m. The teammates spent the night at Walker’s home.
Mediate was found unconscious in a pool of blood and lying in the middle of the parking deck. The first officers to arrive tried to give the Alpharetta man first aid, but he was declared dead at the scene, according to the police report.
A collection of Snapchat messages, cellphone records, surveillance images and witness statements helped police build their case against the two high school students.
“The men were intending on robbing Connor Mediate and Connor was killed in the process,” the accusing officer said in Walker’s warrant. “At this point, it is unknown if Cameron Walker or Jonathan Murray actually shot Connor.”
Witnesses heard up to six shots before Mediate’s body was found with three gunshot wounds to the neck. It is possible both Walker and Murray fired shots, the officer said.
According to his obituary, Mediate was a former varsity football player at St. Francis High School, from which he graduated in 2016. He attended KSU and earned Dean’s List honors in his final two years before graduating in 2020.
Credit: Family Photo
Credit: Family Photo
Because the deadly shooting happened off campus, Fulton County Schools declined to comment on the arrests. Milton’s athletic director, Gary Sylvestri, called the arrests shocking.
“These events do not reflect what we stand for, nor what it means to be a student at Milton High School,” he said on Twitter. “We are here for you, prepared to offer resources to students who may be affected by this news.”
The deadly shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Alpharetta’s line at 678-297-6307.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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