Written by: E. George
Published February 24, 2024 @ 3:30 PM ET
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged a 17-year-old Decatur male, Keegan Gates, with murder for the shooting death of a 16-year-old Lithonia male, Nasir Davis, at a Snellville party. Now, there is a warrant out for the arrest of Gates’s mother, Lakeisha Freeman, for willful obstruction of law enforcement officers and tampering with evidence.
According to the warrant, Freeman instructed “her son, Keegan Gates, to delete evidence from his cell phone, which she knew was relevant to the ongoing homicide investigation.” And “with the intent to obstruct the prosecution of Keegan Gates, she knowingly destroyed evidence by telling Keegan to delete his text messages and social media accounts during an active homicide investigation.”
Gates was transported to the Gwinnett County Jail. His charges include felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a person under 18.
A GBI press release revealed that “a fight broke out during a party” on Saturday, February 17, 2024. Snellville Police said they heard gunshots when they arrived at the Scenic Highway shopping center parking lot.
They discovered Davis with a gunshot wound in his chest. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injury and was pronounced deceased.
The GBI stated, “The investigation suggests that Gates and Davis knew each other.”
Authorities are investigating the circumstances that sparked the fight and the shooting. The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy on Davis.
The GBI said, “This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Snellville Police Department at (770) 985-3555 or the GBI regional investigative office in Atlanta at (770) 388-5019.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.”
When the investigation concludes, the case will transfer to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
A family member of the victim recalled dropping him off “at a party inside a restaurant at the shopping center,” according to WSB-TV 2. She stated, “He was in good spirits.”
His guardian expressed, “It’s so surreal, really, to be here, and he’s not here.”
Davis’s family created a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral and memorial expenses.