A DeKalb County judge sentenced a man to spend the rest of his life in prison Friday for shooting and killing a 17-year-old during a candlelight vigil in unincorporated Decatur more than three years ago.
What’s Happening: Judge Tangela Barrie of DeKalb County Superior Court sentenced 35-year-old Kevin Grier on April 17, three weeks after a jury found him guilty. Grier was convicted on March 13 of malice murder, the intentional killing of another person, along with felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and two firearm-related charges. The victim was 17-year-old Ian Hagerty.
What’s Important: The shooting happened on November 27, 2022, around 6:15 p.m. at an apartment complex on the 2000 block of Flat Shoals Road. The vigil was being held for a different teenager who had been shot and killed days earlier during an attempted home invasion on Gresham Road. Shortly after the crowd released balloons, a man walked directly up to Ian Hagerty and opened fire.
What We Know: Surveillance video from the complex captured what happened. The footage shows the crowd scattering as shots rang out. The shooter is seen with his arm extended, continuing to fire at Hagerty after he had already fallen to the ground. The shooter then walked away, paced the sidewalk, and was waved into a waiting car that left the scene. After investigators released still photos of the suspect publicly, tips led them to identify Grier. He was arrested on January 27, 2023, at a residence in unincorporated Decatur and has been held without bond in the DeKalb County Jail ever since.
The Charges: Beyond malice murder, Grier was also convicted of felony murder, which means causing a death while committing another crime; two counts of aggravated assault; possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon or someone on first offender probation. First offender probation is a court program that allows some first-time offenders to avoid a formal conviction if they complete certain conditions.
Life without the possibility of parole means Grier cannot be considered for release at any point.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
