David Daniel
CANTON, Ga. - A 45-year-old man will spend life in prison after a Cherokee County jury found him guilty of felony murder for shooting a man to death outside a Canton home.
What we know:
Cherokee County Superior Court Judge Tony Baker sentenced David Henry Daniel, 45, of Canton, to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus five years of probation.
A Cherokee County jury convicted Daniel of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a crime for the 2025 shooting death of 44-year-old Michael Kyle Reid.
Michael Kyle Reid (Courtesy of the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office)
The jury acquitted him of malice murder following a five-day trial and over nine hours of deliberation.
The shooting happened Aug. 21, 2025, outside a home on North Lake Drive in Canton.
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Cherokee County E-911 received a call reporting a shooting at 10:21 p.m., and law enforcement officers arrived to find Reid lying on the carport floor with a fatal gunshot wound to his chest.
Deputies recovered the .22-caliber pistol used in the shooting on the hood of a vehicle in the driveway.
No one witnessed the shooting, though Daniel's girlfriend ran outside after hearing a gunshot.
Investigators found a pocketknife and a small sheath knife in Reid's possession in locations showing he could not access them before being shot.
Tension between the men began three days earlier when Reid started communicating with Daniel's on-again, off-again girlfriend.
Text messages and social media documented increasing conflict leading up to the shooting.
On the day of the shooting, Daniel ran out of the home after Reid arrived and shot him within seconds.
Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Mackey said Daniel gave contradictory accounts to investigators, initially calling the shooting an accident before claiming self-defense and alleging Reid had a bat, wrench or flashlight.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released details on what specific statement Reid's sister or other family members made beyond the impact statements presented at sentencing.
Officials have not specified which prison facility Daniel will be transferred to for his life sentence.
What's next:
Daniel will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years in prison.
As part of his sentence, Judge Baker ordered Daniel to forfeit all firearms, have no contact with Reid's family and stay out of Cherokee County.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway, who detailed the trial and sentencing, as well as Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Mackey.