DA says new indictments shed light on growing epidemic: young killers

Channel 2 Action News has learned that indictments have been issued in two Fulton County murder cases.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne that she is using the indictments to shine a light on teen violence.

“Too much violence is occurring in our county at the hands of our youth,” Willis said. “The big picture is we are losing young people to violent crime.”

Coby Senior, who turned 17 only days before one of the homicides, is charged with nine gang counts plus felony murder and more following a shooting spree that broke out at the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center. The incident occurred last  summer after a man allegedly saw Senior and another teen breaking into his Jeep.

A third teenager was shot and killed.

Winne asked the DA that, even though Senior is not accused of firing the fatal shot, “because death occurred during the alleged commission of a felony, that’s felony murder?”

“That’s absolutely felony murder,” Willis confirmed.

She said two felonies led to the death: entering the automobile and robbery.

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Willis said the same day Senior was indicted on a charge of felony murder, two other young men were charged in a pair of indictments unrelated to his case.

Jacob Lawrence Allen-Jones, who was 19 at the time of his alleged crimes, and Zion Azure Heyward, 18, are accused of the August killing of Victor Jose Lazo Jr. in Alpharetta.

They also are charged in a July robbery there.

Heyward’s attorney, Nicole Fegan, texted Winne: “We look forward to proving his innocence at trial.”

“We have allegations that in July of 2021 ... they committed an armed robbery that was brutal, involved some pistol whipping. In August, they got into a dispute with a young man about a young lady and that young man who was only 27 years-old, was killed by them,” Willis said.

She said the youth violence epidemic shines a light on the need for preventive measures.

“Programs that actually work so we can turn lives around and not have this loss of life,” Willis said.

A spokesman with the Georgia Public Defender’s Council said Senior is represented by the Atlanta Circuit Public Defender’s Office, which had no comment Wednesday about his case.

The spokesman said Allen-Jones is represented by an attorney in the office of the Metro Conflict Defender, but he had no comment about the substance of that case.

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