Three men will be sentenced in a fatal shooting at the Sweet 16 in Douglasville

DOUGLAS COUNTY, GA – Three men were convicted of committing a fatal shooting in Douglasville Sweet 16 Party in 2023, they will learn about the verdicts on Thursday.

Timothy Coleman, 20, Kingston Cotman, 18, and 23-year-old Tahkel Marquise Beverly-Smart will appear in a Douglas County courtroom for a sentencing hearing.

Coleman and Cotman were convicted of aggravated assault, violating the Anti-Terrorism and Street Gang Prevention Act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of an illegal weapon in October.

Beverly Smart was found guilty of violating the Street Gang Terrorism Prevention Act.

All three were acquitted of murder.

Kingston Cotman (Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)

Sweet 16 shooting in Douglasville kills two teenagers

On March 4, 2023, more than 100 people attended the Sweet 16 on Sitka Drive in Douglasville. The owners of the house later kicked out the visitors after discovering that some of the teenagers were smoking marijuana.

Shortly after those present were told to disperse, the shooting began.

Two teenagers, 14-year-old Ajanaye Hill and 15-year-old Samuel Moon, were killed. Several other teenagers were injured. None of them were the target.

Samuel Moon, 15, and Ajanaye Hill, 14, were shot and killed when a gunman opened fire on partygoers in Douglasville on March 5, 2023.

Investigators said the shooting was a “gang killing” by a notorious group in Cobb County called DBG.

What led to the Douglasville Sweet 16 shooting?

Superior Court Chief Justice William “Bo” McClain presided over the trial, where evidence pointed to a standoff sparked by comments on social media about the suicide of a gang member.

Attacking a young man who they believed was making comments, they began shooting into the crowd of children with automatic weapons.

Police discovered Flock camera footage linking Coleman and Beverly-Smart to the crime scene in a 2008 Lexus ES350. According to mobile phone data, the other accused were in the area at the time of the incident.

Other suspects in Douglasville Sweet 16 shooting

Accusations of the sweet murder of 16 people

A Douglas County jury has convicted the suspects in a shooting at a birthday party. Timothy Coleman and Kingston Cottman are guilty of aggravated assault and violating the Street Gang Terrorism Act. Tahkel Beverly-Smart was found guilty of violating the street gang principle, but not of assault.

Defendants Michael Williams, Noah Bradley and twin brothers Chase and Chance McDowell took plea deals earlier this year to lesser charges.

Williams was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years plus five years. Bradley was sentenced to 20 years with five. The twins will be released after 12 months in prison.