A quiet stretch of North Jackson Street in Athens turned into a crime scene before dawn Saturday after gunfire ripped through the early morning calm, leaving two young men dead and another fighting for his life. Police say the violence unfolded around 2:20 a.m. on March 14 in the 400 block of the street, where officers rushed in after reports of multiple shots fired.
When police arrived, they found three young men suffering from gunshot wounds. The scene was chaotic and tense. Paramedics worked quickly while officers secured the area, trying to understand what had just happened in the darkness.
Two of the victims did not survive. Authorities later identified them as 22-year-old Clayton Adams and 19-year-old Dylan Bentley. Bentley’s family publicly confirmed his death soon after, sharing their heartbreak as they mourned the sudden loss of a young life cut short.
A third victim, 20-year-old Landon Skinner, survived the shooting but was left with devastating injuries. Among them was a gunshot wound to the eye. He was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where surgeons performed emergency surgery in an attempt to stabilize him.
Skinner’s mother, Shanna Roe, has remained at the hospital since the shooting, refusing to leave her son’s side. She described the overwhelming pain of watching him struggle through recovery while also grieving for the families of the two young men who died.
Roe said she was told that Adams and Bentley tried to help her son during the terrifying moments after the gunfire erupted. The thought of their final actions — trying to protect a friend — has only deepened the emotional weight of the tragedy.
Police later arrested 22-year-old Mark Desousa of Jefferson in connection with the shooting. Investigators charged him with malice murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery. The arrest brought some answers, but it also revealed an even more painful truth for the surviving victim’s family.
Roe said the accused gunman had been close to her son for nearly six years. Learning that the suspect was someone her son trusted made the situation almost impossible for the family to process.
Authorities have not yet explained what led to the gunfire that morning. Detectives continue to gather evidence and speak with witnesses as they try to piece together the events that ended in two deaths and a life-altering injury.
The investigation remains active, and officials have not announced when Desousa is expected to appear in court.
