Teen sentenced to 25 years for voluntary manslaughter in R&R Quik Stop shooting

A 17-year-old has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. 

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A 17-year-old has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.  The sentencing stems from the October 24, 2023, shooting of 45-year-old Shalandra Hooten at the R&R Quik Stop in Fort Valley.

According to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, Joseph Tye, who was 16 at the time, fatally shot Hooten during a physical altercation between his mother, Katrina Smith, and Hooten. Senior Assistant District Attorney Neil Halvorson said surveillance footage captured the scene, showing Tye pulling a firearm and shooting Hooten at close range. Tye and his mother fled the scene, but he was arrested later that day in possession of the weapon.

“This tragic and dangerous incident left one person dead, one child in prison and put community members at risk,” District Attorney Anita Howard said. “Using firearms to resolve issues like this is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated in this jurisdiction.”

Howard said it’s important for adults to model peaceful conflict resolution for children.

“This is a significant sentence for a 17-year-old, over a situation that I believe could have been de-escalated,” she said.