Cobb County police have charged a second suspect with murder after a 20-year-old was shot to death in an Austell-area apartment last week.
Jayden Benion of Atlanta was arrested late Tuesday and charged with murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to jail records and his arrest warrant.
“Accused did enter the apartment which said victim was in and discharged a firearm into the body of the victim causing visible and internal injuries which ultimately led to the death of the victim,” Benion’s arrest warrant states.
Investigators said they believe Benion and another suspect, 22-year-old Nijier Drakeford, were involved in the shooting that killed Kenneth McGrew Jr. on Friday. Officers were called to an apartment in the 1300 block of Riverside Parkway around 1:30 p.m. There, they found the 20-year-old with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a hospital but did not survive, officials said.
On Saturday, Drakeford was arrested in Atlanta and charged with murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, police said. He remained Wednesday in the Cobb jail, where he was being held without bond, booking records show.
Drakeford was released from prison in January 2023 after serving six months for a firearm conviction in Cobb, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
After the recent shooting, Benion allegedly took McGrew’s cellphone, his warrant states. No details were released about a possible motive in the case. Benion was also being held without bond Wednesday.
The funeral for McGrew is planned for next week at Lincoln Cemetery in Atlanta, according to his obituary. Hines Home of Funerals is in charge of arrangements.
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