Four individuals, including three teenagers, have been arrested and charged with murder in the death of 15-year-old Austin Payne, who was found shot in an abandoned apartment in Albany, Georgia. Payne was discovered by his mother on November 1 after he called her the previous evening claiming he had been shot.
Officers from the Albany Police Department responded to the apartment and found Payne's body. His mother, Kimberly Payne, had tracked his phone when he failed to return home. According to WALB, witnesses told police that Payne and a group he was with were approached by armed individuals who demanded their belongings before shots were fired.
Security footage showed six people walking toward the building around 7:35 p.m. on Halloween night, and approximately 20 minutes later, a person was seen jumping from a window. Payne's mother told law enforcement that her son called her around 8 p.m. that night saying he had been shot and needed help, but she initially believed he was joking.
The investigation led to the arrests of Jansquincey Donaldson, 15, Omari Marion, 15, Adarious Wallace, 16, and Detravion Parker, 22. All four are being held at the Dougherty County Jail.
Witnesses believe that a social media post made by Payne, featuring a handgun, may have motivated the attack. The post, uploaded to Instagram on October 15, showed Payne with a handgun. Payne was scheduled to turn 16 on November 12. According to his obituary, he enjoyed outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting.