MACON, Ga. — 21-year-old Alonzo Bernard Hicks appeared before a magistrate judge Wednesday afternoon.
Tuesday, he allegedly shot and killed 60-year-old Robert Wells at Mrs. Winner's fast food restaurant.
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha spoke to people at neighboring businesses who said they were saddened, but not shocked.
Employees at Mrs. Winners said they couldn't talk on camera about the shooting; however, the Pawn Max right across the way said they heard the police sirens coming down the street.
"All I’ve seen is Coroner Leon Jones. We already knew that he was passed away, yeah,” says Brittany Brantley.
Brantley has been a pawn broker at Pawn Max on Pio Nono for five years. She says she saw the police arrive around noon Tuesday.
"There were multiple stories about what happened. Somebody said the customer got mad because he took too long, and then we heard that the guy was asking for money and just shot him in the head.”
Brantley says their stores haven’t had any problems, but violent crimes are common in the neighborhood.
“The wing place got robbed over there like a month ago! The Family Dollar, they fix the glass almost every other week because someone breaks into the dollar store,” she explains.
Jaime Williams is also a pawn broker.
"It's just sad that it's getting to that point where you can't even get lunch without getting shot,” she says.
Williams says they eat at the Mrs. Williams fast food restaurant frequently. She says it could’ve been anyone, it could’ve been them.
"I feel sorry for the family. He didn't just hurt that man, he took away somebody they loved,” Williams explains. “Also his family! Now he's fixing to go away for something that he did, but he knew better.”
"You don't ever know your time, you know,” Brantley chimes in. “He was just going to get lunch, he didn't know he was going to die today. They just take someone’s life like that, like it’s just a game to them, I guess.”
Alonzo Hicks had his first hearing at the Bibb County jail before Judge Valencia Davis Jones.
"You are charged with one count of felony murder. Second arrest warrant is for possession of a firearm during commission of a certain crime, which is a felony. Third arrest warrant is for aggravated assault. Do you understand those charges, sir?” Jones says.
According to a Bibb County arrest warrant, Hicks approached with a 9 mm gun pointed at victim Robert Wells. He was sitting in his Altec utility work truck at Mrs. Winner's during Tuesday's lunch hour. Wells was shot in the chest.
However, Hicks pushed back against the charges.
"I don't understand possession of a firearm because that's false. I didn't have a firearm,” Hicks says.
Ultimately, Hicks said he understood the charges. He was ordered to stay away from the victim's family.
He’s now being held without bond at the Bibb County jail. No court date has been set.