In the street outside a humble southwest Atlanta home, the words “murder game” were emblazoned on the pavement.
Inside, 28-year-old Jamal A. Riley was found shot in the living room. Investigators are working to determine what led to Riley’s death Thursday morning on Beatie Avenue, and a police spokesman could not confirm if the spray-painted message was part of their investigation.
Officers were called to the home around 3:30 a.m. Riley had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Lt. Daniel Genson, who commands the Atlanta police homicide unit.
“Homicide was called out to the scene, and right now we’re in the preliminary stages of the investigation to determine the circumstances behind the shooting,” Genson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from outside the home Thursday morning.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Genson said investigators with the police department and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office are working together to parse out what happened. While it was still early, Genson did not believe any other victims were involved.
Neighbors and family members were speaking with investigators Thursday morning. Genson was hopeful those interviews would provide them with a suspect description.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
In addition to the words “murder game,” three letters were painted outside the house alongside a cartoon outline of a body. A spokesman for the police department declined to confirm any additional details about the case Thursday afternoon, citing the ongoing investigation.
According to Channel 2 Action News, the message was painted two months ago and investigators took photos of it Thursday morning.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Police have been called to the Beatie Avenue home on five other occasions in the past two years, three times to investigate drug activity and once to investigate gunshots, according to department records. In another incident, shots fired from another location damaged the home, a police spokesman said.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
