Gang Leader Convicted In Drive-By Shooting Of Teen Girl

DECATUR, GA — The leader of a DeKalb County gang will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of orchestrating a 2016 drive-by shooting that killed a 15 year old girl.

Tahja Williams, 26, who went by the street name "Mayhem," was convicted by a jury Friday on charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and several weapons offenses. The charges were in connection to the Aug. 3, 2016 shooting death of 15-year-old Keaira Palmer.

Palmer was killed in a shooting in the parking lot of the S&N convenience store on Glenwood Road. According to evidence in the case, Williams had just walked out of the store and was heading to a nearby apartment building with a group of people when gunfire erupted from two moving vehicles.

She was fatally shot in the neck.

Williams, the leader of the 62 Brim gang, organized the shooting in retaliation against members of the G-Shine gang for an alleged robbery days earlier, investigators said. Palmer was caught in the crossfire between the two groups and was killed just two weeks shy of her 16th birthday.

Two alleged members of the G-Shine gang also were shot, but survived their injuries. The shooters got away, later abandoning one of the cars. Following an investigation, six suspects, including Williams, were identified, arrested and indicted.

Co-defendants Mike Miller, Roderick Jackson, Roderick Harris, Tareco Jenkins and Sharrod Jackson all entered guilty pleas for their roles in the shootings. Each was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Mark Anthony Scott handed down the life-without-parole sentence shortly after Williams' conviction.

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