The gun that fired the bullet yhat killed an innocent bystander during a shootout between rival gang members in west Athens five months ago has been identified, Athens-Clarke County police said on Monday.
Breana Jeree Blackwell, 23, was in her car when killed instantly by a wayward bullet fired during the shootout between the NBA and 2 Tuff gangs in the area of Brooklyn Road and Hawthorne Extension.
Over the next two months, police arrested at last seven suspected gang members who were believed involved in the shootout, and several firearms were seized.
“Recent information provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab confirmed a weapon that was located, with the assistance of the University of Georgia Police Department's K-9 Unit at the scene a short time after the incident, is the weapon that fired the fatal shot,” police said in a new release.
That gun is undergoing additional testing at the GBI lab in an attempt to identify the shooter, according to police.
Blackwell’s death was the second fatality in a deadly feud between two warring street gangs, NBA and 2 Tuff, according to police.
The Hartwell resident had come to Athens on Nov. 28 to attend a “kickback” in the area known locally as “Black Road,” and she just dropped off other people who were attending the get-together when members of the two rival gangs began shooting at each other. No gang members were injured in the shooting, police said, though Blackwell was killed while still in her car and another bystander who was standing in the street was wounded by gunfire.
In response to Blackwell’s death, the police department formed a Gang Task Force that for the past two months worked with other elements of the police department, the GBI and other agencies to investigate the homicide and lock up dozens of gang members on charges not directly related to the homicide.
A reward of up to $10,000 remains in effect in connection with the homicide investigation.
Anyone with information is asked by police to contact Sgt. David Norris at (706) 613-3888, extension 556 or Lt. Mike Tyndell at (706) 613-3888, ext. 372.
Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the Crime Stoppers confidential tip line at (706) 705-4775.
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