Convicted Gunman In Teen's Shooting Death At Vigil Sentenced: DeKalb D.A.

DECATUR, GA — The man convicted of fatally shooting a 17-year-old boy during a candlelight vigil has been sentenced to prison, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office said Monday.

A jury on March 13 convicted Kevin Grier, 35, of murder in connection with the November 2022 shooting death of Ian Hagerty, 17.

Hagerty was attending a candlelight vigil around 6:15 p.m. in the 2000 block of Flat Shoals Road when the shooting happened, prosecutors said. The vigil was being held for another teenager who was fatally shot during an attempted home invasion on Gresham Road a few days prior to the Flat Shoals incident.

During the vigil, after balloons had been released, prosecutors said Grier walked up to Hagerty in the middle of a crowd shot directly at him.

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Surveillance video shows the crowd dispersing and Grier firing shots at Hagerty after he had fallen to the ground, prosecutors said.

After walking from Hagerty, prosecutors said Grier paced up and down the sidewalk before being waved into a car and leaving the scene.

Grier was identified as the gunman after still photos of him were released to media outlets and authorities received tips, prosecutors said.

He was arrested without incident at a home on Jan. 27, 2023 in unincorporated Decatur and has since then been held without bond at the DeKalb County Jail.

The jury convicted Grier of malice murder, felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon or first offender probationer, prosecutors said.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Tangela Barrie on Friday sentenced Grier to life without the possibility of parole.