Jaylan Major was a scholar athlete with a bright smile who loved to joke with his friends, his family said.
“(He) was such a happy person,” they wrote in a GoFundMe post.
On Sunday afternoon, the 16-year-old was on his way to work when he was shot at the East Point MARTA station. He later died at a hospital, according to MARTA police Sgt. Deneya Littles.
Two teenage boys, ages 15 and 18, were arrested after the shooting, which occurred at around 3:30 p.m. Their names will not be released, Littles said.
“The shooting resulted from a prior dispute between the individuals,” she added, without elaborating.
Major loved playing sports and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes traveling baseball team, according to the fundraiser post organized by Antonio Major. Georgia Supreme Athletics Inc., a youth sports organization based in Atlanta, stated on Facebook that Antonio was the boy’s father and one of their volunteer football coaches.
“Not many families are prepared to bury a 16-year-old son ...” the post read.
A prayer and balloon release is scheduled to be held Wednesday evening at the John D. Milner Athletic Complex in East Point.
It was the third time this year a person was fatally shot at a MARTA station, and the second within the past couple of weeks.
On Feb. 24, two undercover MARTA police officers were patrolling the North Avenue station at around 4:25 p.m. when they observed a man in “possession of suspected illegal drugs,” the GBI said in a statement. The officers attempted to detain 23-year-old Osiris Rashad Solomon Bennett, leading to a fight. The suspect pulled out a gun during the confrontation and was shot by officers. He died at a hospital.
Last month, a man was shot and killed on the concourse level of the Ashby station. The victim, 20-year-old Charles Perkins of Douglasville, died at the scene, police said. Video footage showed up to three people attacking Perkins before a shot rang out, according to an arrest warrant.
The April 11 shooting shut down the Ashby station for several hours. Davis Edmond, 21, was arrested a week later and is accused of driving at least two suspects away from the scene. Police said up to three other people were involved in the incident and they remain at large.
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There have been other non-fatal incidents near MARTA stations this year, including a stabbing in March and a domestic-related shooting involving a MARTA police sergeant in January.
On Jan. 30, the sergeant, whose name was not released, allegedly shot her ex-boyfriend Clevean Kareem Ali Lambert, who had attacked and tried to grab her gun, according to the GBI. The incident occurred around 9:15 p.m. on Wall Street near the Five Points station when Lambert met with the officer while she was on duty.
“During the meeting, Lambert hit the officer, knocking her to the ground, then dragging, strangling and repeatedly hitting her,” a GBI spokeswoman said. “Lambert grabbed the officer’s gun while in the holster. After Lambert released the officer’s weapon, she shot him.”
Both Lambert and the officer were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where the officer was treated and released.
The stabbing occurred Feb. 14 near the Chamblee station. The victim, who was not publicly identified, was attacked by a person thought to be homeless, police said. The incident was not reported until MARTA police discovered the victim at the Lindbergh station, four stops south of the Chamblee station.
The 15-year-old suspect in Sunday’s East Point shooting is facing charges of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 18, police said. The 18-year-old is facing charges of simple battery and involuntary manslaughter.
Last year, at least two people were fatally shot near MARTA stations.
— Staff writer Helena Oliviero contributed to this article.
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