A second teenager has been arrested in connection with the December 2023 shooting death of 17-year-old Brandon Smith, a student at Manchester High School in Meriwether County, Georgia, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday.
Qua’vion Jakwon Cooper, 17, of Manchester, was taken into custody on May 1 and charged with murder as a party to the crime. Authorities allege Cooper aided and abetted A’darious Jashawn Williams, 19, in the killing of Smith following an argument on December 7. Cooper is being held at the Meriwether County Jail.
The GBI previously arrested Williams on January 2 after the Manchester Police Department requested assistance in investigating Smith’s death. Smith had been reported missing on December 9, two days after he was last seen. His body was discovered behind a residence on 3rd Avenue in Manchester on December 10, and foul play was immediately suspected.
The investigation led agents to Williams, who was charged with murder and also booked into the Meriwether County Jail. Cooper’s arrest this week marks a significant development in the ongoing case.
Investigators confirm accomplice role in teen’s shooting death
According to investigators, evidence gathered during the probe confirmed Cooper’s involvement in the events that led to Smith’s death. The GBI did not disclose the specific actions taken by Cooper but stated he assisted Williams in carrying out the fatal shooting.
Both suspects are from Manchester, a small town in west-central Georgia. The GBI has not released additional details about the motive beyond citing a prior argument between the victim and Williams.
The case remains active, and officials have not ruled out further arrests. Prosecutors are expected to determine whether Cooper will be tried as an adult under Georgia law, which allows for juveniles to be prosecuted as adults in serious felony cases such as murder.
Second suspect charged in December killing of Georgia teen found behind Manchester home.