MACON, Ga. — “I just still can’t believe it. We need to wake up.”
Macon-Bibb County’s latest drive-by house shooting took place in Mahalia Walker’s neighborhood. In the last two weeks, bullets have hit two separate homes – killing one man.
Someone shot at 70-year-old Peter Taylor’s home on Century Place Monday night, and one of the bullets hit him in the head. He was pronounced dead around noon Wednesday.
"It's just a shame we've lost him for something this... really idiotic and senseless,” said Billy Barnwell.
Barnwell has been friends with Taylor for more than 20 years. Throughout the years, Taylor wore many hats, including president of the Central Georgia Labor Council.
Together, the pair advocated for better working conditions in Central Georgia.
“Pete had tons of energy. That's why this is such a loss for us,” said Barnwell. "One thing Pete fought for really hard was to organize more workers and to build a labor movement and ensure that folks were making a wage where they didn't feel like they had to go out and rob and steal and shoot people to make ends meet.”
The shooting at Taylor’s home was the 2nd drive-by shooting at an elderly person’s home in Macon in the last two weeks. On Dec. 16, someone shot up a 90-year-old woman's home on Key Street.
Both cases remain unsolved.
“This is unacceptable behavior in any community, much less OUR community,” said Warren Selby.
Selby is the Macon Regional Crimestoppers board chairman, and both he and his 93-year-old mother call Macon home, so he takes both shootings personally.
"I don't want anybody going by her house, your mother's house, or anyone's house as far as that goes, so we just need to rally as a community and say hey this has got to stop,” he said.
Selby says he wants to hold the shooters accountable, but he needs your help. By providing tip information to them, $1,000 could be yours.
Anyone with information about either shooting can call Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
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