Man sentenced for 2024 fatal shooting inside Brookhaven tattoo shop
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A New York man was sentenced to life in prison after a DeKalb County jury convicted him in the fatal shooting inside a Brookhaven tattoo shop, district attorney officials announced.
What we know:
The deadly shooting happened at the tattoo shop in the 4400 block of Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Brookhaven on March 21, 2024.
According to the district attorney's office, the shop owner, who called 911, told investigators that the victim, Percy Scott, 33, and Jonathan Thomas, 35, got into a physical fight. All three men were acquaintances who had moved to the metro Atlanta area from Buffalo. The owner attempted to separate the men before stepping outside and hearing gunshots.
ORIGINAL STORY: Man charged in deadly shooting at Brookhaven tattoo shop
Prosecutors said surveillance cameras in the area captured a red Hyundai leaving the shop immediately after the shooting.
The district attorney's office added that Brookhaven police used Flock license plate reader technology to track the car to an apartment complex in Sandy Springs, where they identified Thomas as the registered owner and took him into custody. The owner of the tattoo shop also positively identified Thomas as the shooter from a photo lineup.
Prosecutors added that with the help of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, detectives watched surveillance footage from inside the shop which showed Thomas was the initial aggressor in an argument before shooting Scott multiple times.
A jury found Thomas guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole plus 15 years.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not disclosed what prompted the initial verbal argument between Thomas and Scott inside the shop.
The Source: Information in this report was provided directly in an official press release from the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office.