Two men have been charged with malice murder in the 2023 fatal shooting of a Valdosta State University student from metro Atlanta, according to the GBI.
Tsion Clayton, 23, and Kimone Green, 21, were both already in custody on unrelated charges when they were identified as suspects in the deadly incident, the GBI said. One man is in jail in Georgia while the other is in a Florida jail, though the GBI did not specify where each suspect is being held.
The men are accused of shooting and killing 21-year-old Brianna Long, a fourth-year dental hygiene student who was previously an award-winning soccer player at Paulding County High School.
Long and another employee were both shot outside the Lowndes County bar where they worked around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2023. The man who was hit has since recovered, but Long died at South Georgia Medical Center, the GBI said.
According to the state agency, investigators believe Clayton and Green were looking for someone related to an “ongoing gang dispute” the night Long was killed. At the time, authorities said Long was killed by a stray bullet after gunfire erupted.
The shooting took place in the small city of Remerton, which is encircled by Valdosta. Remerton police asked the GBI to help investigate the shooting shortly after it took place.
Both suspects are from Lowndes. They are expected to face additional counts, according to authorities.
The GBI said the investigation remains active and has asked the public to share any details related to the case or the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call the GBI Thomasville Office at 229-225-4090. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), visiting https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online or downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
