Deadly Friday: Police investigate two homicides

ALBANY — Two men wanted in connection to a pair of Friday homicides in Albany turned themselves in Saturday, Albany police officials say.

Jammie Davis, 23, and King Barber Jr., 22, who were listed on murder warrants in connection to the Friday shooting deaths of Latravius Burks and Michael Taylor, respectively, surrendered to police, according to news releases from the Albany Police Department.

A second man who is wanted in the Taylor homicide, Brandon Brown, 22, is still at large, police said.

Witnesses say Davis shot and killed Latravius Burks in a domestic dispute that occurred at 8:45 p.m. Friday at 417 Hickory Lane. At the time of the Burks homicide, Albany police officers were already investigating the 7:36 p.m. shooting of 26-year-old Taylor who, witnesses say, tried to break up an altercation between Brown and Barber at the June Bug’s convenience store at 1905 S. Madison St.

An APD release Saturday said that officers from the department’s Uniform, Detectives, Gang Unit and I-Dent divisions, as well as Dougherty Sheriff’s deputies, and Dougherty County Police officers, responded to 417 Hickory Lane in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, the victim, Burks, was found on the front porch with gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach area.

Witnesses say Davis came to the location to see his children. Their mother reported that when the children went outside to see Davis, she called her new boyfriend, Burks, to warn him Davis was there. She told police that Davis was known to start trouble.

A short time later, she heard several gunshots from the outside of her house, and her children ran back inside. She went to the front door and found the victim lying on the porch with a wound in his chest area. Burks was treated at the scene by EMS and transported to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital for additional medical attention but died from his injuries.

Officers from APD’s Uniform and Detectives divisions, its Gang Unit, Dougherty Sheriff’s deputies, and DCP responded, along with EMS, in response to the shooting at June Bug’s. Once on scene, the victim was found on the inside of the business with a gunshot wound to the chest area. Witnesses reported the two suspects, Brown and Barber, were fighting inside the store and Taylor, the victim, tried to break up the fight.

Both suspects drew handguns, fired at each other and Taylor was shot during the exchange of gunfire. Warrants for felony murder and aggravated assault were issued against both Brown and Barber.

An address for Brown, the lone suspect who remains at large, is listed by police as 2803 Spellman Drive in Albany. He is described as a black male who is 5-feet-11 tall and weighs 232 pounds. Police say Brown drives a blue Camry.