Two individuals have been charged in connection with the death of Brianna Long, a woman who was fatally struck by a stray bullet while working at a bar in Remerton, Georgia. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced that 23-year-old Tsion Clayton and 21-year-old Kimone Green have been charged with malice murder in the 2023 shooting.
Long, who was 21 at the time of her death, was working at The Pier Bar on October 29, 2023. She was closing the bar around 2:30 a.m. when a shooting took place outside the establishment. A stray bullet struck her, and another man was also injured. While the man survived, Long succumbed to her injuries.
According to investigators, Clayton and Green were allegedly searching for another individual in an ongoing gang dispute when the shooting happened. The GBI confirmed that Long and the second victim were innocent bystanders and not involved in the conflict.
Clayton and Green are already in custody on separate, unrelated charges. The two are also among seven individuals facing charges in a 44-count racketeering indictment, which Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced on Thursday. The indictment alleges that the suspects were involved in a Valdosta-based gang known as 528, which has been linked to crimes including murder, robbery, and assault.
Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Bradfield M. Shealy emphasized that gang violence has been a major factor in many of the recent homicides in Valdosta. He stated that these violent activities impact not only gang members but also innocent members of the community, including victims like Brianna Long.
The five other suspects named in the indictment are 20-year-old Jaquan Walton, 36-year-old Alex Parrish, 21-year-old Travis White, 20-year-old Antoine Taylor, and 24-year-old Cedric Jordan. Walton is also facing murder charges related to the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Jaylon Smith in Valdosta in June 2023.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to address gang-related violence in the region. Lowndes County, where Remerton is located, is approximately three hours south of Atlanta.
