An 18-year-old was shot and killed in southwest Atlanta on Friday afternoon — a shooting family members said arose from an argument with people he knew.
Markeith Oliver was identified by his family, who remembered him as a quiet, respectful person with a passion for basketball. He was killed in an overgrown area on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, just south of I-20, across from a cemetery, Atlanta police said in a statement.
By late afternoon Friday, Oliver’s family was left stunned and looking for answers.
Police said two suspects, who were twin brothers, were taken into custody and questioned. One was released and the other brother, 18-year-old Garrison Carreker, was identified as the shooter, police said.
He was arrested and charged with murder.
The victim’s mother, Belinda Oliver, said Markeith was selling water at a nearby Texaco gas station Friday afternoon. She believes he got in an argument with people he knew, which led to the shooting.
At around 3 p.m., she said, she got a knock on her door.
“They said two boys got into an argument, and next thing you know they heard three gunshots,” she said. “They were saying they don’t know if it’s Markeith, but they were like, ‘You need to go up there and see what’s going on.’ I came up there, and it was Markeith.”
The victim was shot multiple times, witnesses told police, and the suspects fled the scene. One of the suspects may have been carrying a water cooler as he left, according to the statement from police.
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Markeith Oliver's mother characterized him as “a great guy” who was a leader in his community.
“I think them boys were jealous of him,” she said.
The scene was tense as family and friends huddled on the side of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and discussed the shooting and what could’ve happened. At one point, an older relative approached the group.
“Where’s Markeith?” she shouted frantically.
The victim’s cousin, Monica Oliver, responded: “He’s gone, man.”
Police took down yellow crime scene tape and left the area at around 5:45 p.m.
Monica Oliver said he tended to mind his own business.
“He’s a respectable young man. He’s quiet, he don’t bother nobody,” she said. “When he’s at home, you don’t know he’s there.”
He was selling water outside the gas station, she said, “to get a little extra cash in this pocket.”
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