Avery Hammond (Credit: Atlanta Police Department)
ATLANTA - An Atlanta man has been convicted of murder after a disagreement about song lyrics at a gathering in 2022.
Avery Antonio Hammond, 39, and his wife held the gathering at their home on Shawn Wayne Court on Feb. 19, 2022.
The jury heard that the gathering, which consisted of alcohol and music production, bled over into the early morning hours of the following day. At some point, Hammond reportedly began arguing with one of the guests identified as 29-year-old Lexington Cooper over song lyrics he found offensive.
Detectives say Cooper attempted to leave the residence with his cousin, Virdie Dill. That's when Hammond and his wife followed them outside where he pulled out a gun, shooting Cooper in the back multiple times, according to the investigation.
Dill pulled out a gun from his car and returned fire.
Cooper died in the shootout. Hammond's wife was also struck in the shoulder.
DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Nora Polk is expected to schedule Hammond's sentencing hearing in the coming weeks.