WARE COUNTY, Ga. – An attorney for Jacksonville recording artist Kenyata Bullard told News4Jax his client was among a group of people ambushed in Sunday's deadly shooting in Waycross.
One person was killed and another was injured in the shooting, which happened in the early morning hours near the Hampton Inn on Brunswick Highway, the Waycross Police Department said.
Officers were called to the hotel about 3:30 a.m. in response to a complaint that several men were being chased by another group of men armed with guns, according to police.
Investigators found 30-year-old Jeremy Brookins of Jacksonville shot near an outdoor pool and 29-year-old Dewayne Lamont Scott with a gunshot wound in a hotel room.
Despite life-saving measures, Brookins later died of his injuries. Scott was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. At last check, his condition was not known.
Police said three Jacksonville men were taken into custody. Mark Johnson, 26, Leroy Whittaker, 18, and Devante Starks, 26, face a series of gun and drug charges. It's unclear how they're involved.
Several posts surfaced on social media linking Bullard, who was scheduled to perform at a show in Waycross on Saturday, to the shooting. Authorities have not said if Bullard was involved.
Bullard, who goes by the stage name Yungeen Ace, was the lone survivor of a June 2018 quadruple shooting that unfolded on Town Center Parkway. His brother, Trevon, was killed in that shooting.
Felicia Gillis, a housekeeper at the Baymont Inn hotel, said she was bombarded with questions from guests Sunday morning about the noise they heard next door at this Hampton Inn Hotel they heard.
“They rattled about hearing a lot of gunshots last night about three or 4 o’clock in the morning, so they were asking me about it this morning and from what my boss had informed me, there was a young black male who had been shot over here and maybe four people were involved," Gillis said.
In response to questions from News4Jax, Bullard's attorney, David Haas, released a statement indicating that a group including Bullard was ambushed in the shooting. He did not go into detail.
"With respect to the investigation, we will not confirm the relationship between the people shot and Bullard. Bullard cooperated with the investigation, but will not be commenting any further," Haas said.
A neighbor recalled hearing gunfire and seeing 13 police vehicles at the hotel about 4 a.m. Sunday, while an employee of a nearby business said she saw investigators searching for shell casings.