The Atlanta Police Department’s Homicide Unit has made two arrests in last month’s murder of 16-year-old Bre’Asia Powell outside Benjamin E. Mays High School.
According to APD, Jaquan Withers, 18, and Willie Dennis, 19, have both been charged with murder and related charges in the teenager’s death. Withers was already in the Fulton County Jail on unrelated charges.
On June 22, investigators were in the process of securing arrest warrants for Dennis when they were alerted to his location. He was wanted out of Jackson County on a theft related warrant. Officers assigned to Operation Heatwave locatedDennis traveling in an SUV and were able to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle and take him into custody without incident.
Bre’Asia Powell was found with a gunshot wound outside the school just before 2:30 a.m. on May 28. She later died at the hospital. A second victim, a 16-year-old male, was also wounded in the shooting incident.
Atlanta Public Schools said the two students were shot during an unauthorized gathering at the school. Bre’Asia was an innocent bystander and not involved in a dispute that led to gunfire, according to Lt. Germain Dearlove.
Dearlove said APD continues to search for a third suspect and other “involved parties.” He asked the public to come forward with any information about the case by calling Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS(8477).
Bre’Asia was expected to start working for the city of Atlanta this summer as part of its summer youth employment program.