Gang member convicted of killing trans woman in Stone Mountain on the run
Davonte Fore
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A jury has found two men guilty of murder in the 2021 shooting death of Skyler Gilmore, a transgender woman, at an apartment complex in Stone Mountain. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the convictions on Oct. 4.
The defendants, JaQuan Brooks, 25, and Davonte Fore, 26, were found guilty of multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and firearm-related offenses.
The investigation revealed that both men, members of a local gang, were ordered to kill Gilmore after it was discovered she had been involved with another gang member.
Gilmore, whose legal name was Chase Gilmore, was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to her torso in her apartment on South Hairston Road just before 2 a.m. on June 4, 2021.
According to police, a friend of Gilmore's rushed to the scene after Gilmore called her moments after being shot.
Surveillance footage and cell phone data linked Brooks and Fore to the crime, showing them entering the apartment complex in a white Nissan Rogue.
Brooks was taken into custody following the verdict, while Fore, who was released on bond earlier this year, fled during the trial and is now considered a fugitive.
A sentencing hearing for both men will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
Authorities are urging anyone with information on Fore’s whereabouts to contact the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit at 404-298-8402.