A second man is in Cobb County jail for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old Austell man, police announced Tuesday.
Aaron Garner, 30, was arrested Saturday on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and possessing a firearm as a felon.
Cobb police said officers found Aquavious Harris shot in the neck at Center and Pine streets about 4:10 p.m. on Thursday. Taylin Heard, 25, was arrested near the scene, police said, and has been charged with aggravated assault and felony murder — a charge of either directly or indirectly causing a death.
Police previously said Harris “had been shot as a result of a verbal dispute.”
Harris' mother, Simeka Bostick, previously told Channel 2 Action News that her son died for no reason.
“He was taken at 19, so he didn’t have a chance yet at life,” she said at the time of the shooting. “ ... I don’t even know where to begin from here. I do know I want (Heard) to suffer for life because I have to suffer for life.”
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A police warrant explains what happened before officers arrived but leaves many unanswered questions.
The warrant said that Heard fired a .40-caliber handgun at Harris’ feet. Heard then “retreated and was no longer threatening any involved party.”
That’s when things escalated.
Garner “retrieved a firearm and retaliated by shooting at Taylin Heard without lawful justification for the prior bad act. Taylin Heard fired back towards his unknown assailant, disregarding the safety of others striking the unarmed (Aquavious) Harris in the neck,” the warrant said.
Heard admitted to detectives in an interview that he shot Harris in the neck, a warrant shows.
Police did not say if or how any of the men knew each other, but all three were from Austell.
Cobb police wouldn’t speak to what the argument between Heard and Harris was about.
“That (information) will be reserved for trial,” said officer Alicia Chilton, a Cobb police spokeswoman.
Anyone with information about this crime can call Cobb police at 770-499-3945.
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