The alleged victim, who suffered two gunshot wounds, one each to the chest and arm, was a suspected 52nd Street Hoover Gangsta Crip gang member, Bartow County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Sgt. Jonathan Rogers said Monday. He added investigators had interviewed Moore's friends and witnesses to the alleged shooting, as well as researched information posted online to make that determination.
"We're not really sure it was a [turf] war as much as the BBS guys trying to flex their muscle in their area," Rogers said. "They kind of considered that their area, as [is] obvious from the first shooting [incident]. They had a problem with the BAMN guys being over there."
In what may have been a precursor to the alleged homicide -- Moore was pronounced dead at Cartersville Medical Center after he was found with gunshot wounds around 9:20 that March evening -- investigators arrested four teens in connection with a February shooting incident on Middlebrook Drive in which no one was injured.
"[These three] were there, involved in that one and we started to establish the existence of a BBS gang. At that point, we determined who was a member of BBS, based on their affiliation with each other and postings online about the gang and things like that," Rogers said, adding investigators believe there are six to 10 local members of BBS but the three later arrested in connection with Moore's death were not arrested in connection with the shots fired incident. "They all have ties to Louisiana, [either] family [there] or they were born there."
The six to seven shots area residents reported hearing Feb. 22 was the result of a fight between two groups, BAMN, which stands for "by any means necessary," and BBS, authorities said earlier this year.
In the February incident, witnesses reported a group of teens and juveniles had been playing basketball, and prior to Moore's death, a birthday party had been ongoing. In both cases, witnesses reported hearing gunshots, after which people in those groups fled.
A woman who called police after hearing gunshots shortly before Moore was found lying in front of 44 Middlebrook Drive reported a previous fist fight, but Rogers said authorities are unsure of the exact disagreement between alleged BBS gang members and the alleged victim.
"We don't know what started the fight. There's so many different stories you get. Some people say there were drugs involved and some people say there were words between them before, but we don't have any proof of any of that. People say they had a fight earlier in the day, but we don't have any proof of that. We can't verify that. Nobody will talk to you to verify that there was a fight," Rogers said.
About two weeks after the alleged homicide, U.S. Marshals apprehended then 14-year-old Leondris Tyree Jackson of Cartersville in Louisiana, near the Mississippi state line in Concordia Parish. BCSO investigators charged him as an adult with murder.
Investigators issued two additional warrants in connection with the case April 22, charging Leondris Jackson's cousins, Demetrius Matavlo Castle Jr., 17, and Dedric Deshon Jackson, 18, each with murder.
In Sunday's issue, The Daily Tribune News misstated the teens' relationship. Rogers said Castle and Dedric Jackson are brothers, and the two were apprehended together in Baton Rouge, La., by U.S. Marshals.
Like Leondris Jackson, both had left Cartersville after the alleged shooting, Rogers added.
"They had re-established a residence out there with their mother. ... Castle did not fight extradition, and Dedric Jackson fought his extradition. We actually had filed a Governor's warrant and in lieu of a hearing for that warrant, [Dedric Jackson] signed a waiver for his extradition," Rogers added.
Castle was transferred to a juvenile detention facility upon his arrest because he was then 16 years old, Rogers said, adding Castle had been charged as an adult with murder. When he turned 17 on June 2, he was transferred to the Bartow County jail, although the booking information was not released to The Daily Tribune News at the time.
Based on investigation and eye witness information, Rogers said both the Jacksons and Castle are believed to be involved in the alleged shooting, but authorities have not determined which was the suspected shooter.
No firearms have been recovered, but investigators are still working the case.
"These are the three that were involved in the [alleged homicide]. We're not looking at anyone else for a murder charge. Obviously there will be other violations, from having a gun present, shooting, all that kind of stuff you have to look at -- fighting and similar charges," Rogers said, adding that sheriff's office authorities will be working with district attorney's office representatives to prosecute the three teens under the state gang statute if possible.