Man pleads guilty in fatal shooting of Manchester High School football player

The GBI said investigators determined Williams shot and killed Smith following an argument on Dec. 7, 2023. Williams was arrested in January 2024.

“The evidence suggests the defendant killed the victim for the perceived disrespect of taking a gun from the defendant’s person on a prior date. (The) defendant and victim were associated with the same criminal street gang,” said Cranford.

Smith was a sophomore defensive lineman on the 2023 Manchester football team. His body was found behind a home on 3rd Avenue near downtown Manchester the day before the team’s Class A Division II championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

In a statement, Cranford said that Williams waited outside the residence before he ambushed, chased down and shot Smith.

After the killing, the GBI found a weapon at a different residence that matched ballistics from the crime scene, according to the DA. Witnesses also said it belonged to Williams, who gave law enforcement an alibi for the time of the shooting.

But surveillance footage and his cellphone data showed he was in the area at the time of the gunfire, Cranford said.

“Text message evidence taken from Williams’ phone was also incriminating of Williams being the shooter,” the DA added. “Additionally, the state was prepared to call witnesses who told the GBI that Williams told them that he murdered Smith.”

Williams’ guilty plea and sentencing come just days after the GBI arrested a second person, one of Smith’s teammates, in connection with the killing.

The GBI said Williams was allegedly helped by Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper, 17, who led the football team in rushing and tackling during the title game.

In the contest, Cooper ran for 80 yards, scored a touchdown and made a team-leading eight tackles, according to Georgia High School Association statisticians. Manchester lost to Bowdon 28-27.

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Cooper, a senior at Manchester, was booked into the Meriwether County Jail on a murder charge and was denied bond, the sheriff’s office previously confirmed. The details of his alleged involvement are not clear. On Tuesday, Cranford said his office would not comment about Cooper’s pending case.

In a statement released last week, Meriwether County Schools Superintendent Robert Griffin said the district was aware of the arrests in the case and that it was cooperating with the investigation.

“This is a deeply difficult moment for many in our community, and our hearts remain with Brandon’s family, friends and teammates as they continue to grieve this loss,” Griffin said.