On Halloween night, a white 15-year-old Georgia boy called his mother to tell her he had been shot during an armed robbery. The next morning, he was found dead inside an abandoned apartment in Albany.
Three black teens and a 22-year-old black man were charged with murder in connection with the death of Austin Payne. His body was discovered November 1 on the floor of an empty apartment on Cameo Lane, according to Albany police.
Authorities identified Jansquincey Donaldson, 15; Omari Marion, 15; Adarious Wallace, 16; and Detravion Parker, 22, as the suspects. All four were arrested and booked into Dougherty County Jail, police said. Officials are also offering a $1,000 cash reward to locate Lametrious Sear, who is believed to be the fifth suspect in the deadly shooting of Payne, according to WTVG.
Surveillance footage from Halloween night showed six people walking toward the apartment around 7:35 p.m. About 20 minutes later, someone was seen jumping out of a window. Roughly five minutes after that, Payne called his mother in a desperate plea, saying he had been shot and needed help, WALB reported.
His mother reportedly told investigators she thought he was joking because of “past remarks,” according to WALB. But she grew increasingly worried when she finished work that evening and couldn’t reach her son. She went to bed, and the next morning, used a tracking app to find him. But it was too late. She arrived at the abandoned apartment, where she found Payne unresponsive.
Witnesses reportedly told police they were walking with Payne along a path between Sands Drive and Cameo Lane when armed individuals approached them. The mob demanded their belongings and opened fire, according to WALB.
The witnesses speculated that Payne may have been targeted because of a handgun he had posted about on social media, the local station reported. Investigators recovered seven 9 mm shell casings along the trail.
“Austin Gage Payne, 15, of Albany, was taken too soon from this life on Sunday, November 1, 2026, just days before his 16th birthday,” his obituary reads, which says Payne enjoyed fishing, hunting, and riding four-wheelers. He also worked on a plantation.
“He was of the Christian faith and will be greatly missed,” the obituary reads.
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