Thursday, May 17, 2012

Atlanta: Police Continue Manhunt for Starlight Six Drive-In Killer

 
Murder victim Mitt-Chai Lenix giving a martial arts demonstration

 
Murder suspect Quentric S. Williams


Posted by Nicholas Stix

UPDATED: Georgia National Guardsman Killed at Starlight Six Drive-In

Victim Mitt-Chai Lenix, a soldier and medic in the Georgia National Guard, was on a date. Police searching for suspected gunman, Quentric S. Williams.

By Péralte Paul
peralte.paul@patch.com
May 15, 2012
East Atlanta Patch

Spc. Mitt Lenux the Georgia National Guardsman who was killed early Tuesday at the Starlight Drive-in, was an expert martial artist, was known by his friends as "Super Ninja." In this still photo from a 2010 YouTube video, Lenix showcases some of his skills as part of "Breaking Point" the two-man act he performed in at the Georgia Renaissance Festival.

Quentric S. Williams, 32, is wanted in connection with the May 15 shooting death of a Georgia National Guardsman at the Starlight Six Drive-in."

DeKalb County police are on the manhunt for 32-year-old Quentric S. Williams, who is suspected in the shooting death of a man at the Starlight Six Drive-In Theatre on Moreland Avenue.

The 28-year-old vicitim, Spc. Mitt-Chai Lenix, a medic in the Georgia National Guard, is believed to have had car trouble.

Investigators think he approached the vehicle of his alleged shooter to get aid, DeKalb County Police Department spokeswoman Mekka S. Parish told East Atlanta Patch.

The May 15 shooting occurred just after midnight.

Separately, DeKalb police are investigating the death of Clinton Hightower, a pedestrian who was stuck and killed in Stone Mountain by a DeKalb County police officer on his way to aid in the search for Williams.

It's unclear why Lenix, who a friend said was on a date at the drive-in and later died of his injuries, was shot.

The Starlight, meanwhile, started a fund in Lenix's memory.

"The Starlight Drive-In Family is devastated by the senseless and terrible events that took place on the night of May 14th," the theatre said in a statement on the fund's Web page.

"A patron gunned down Mitt Lenix for merely knocking on his window to ask for a jump start. The perpetrator then fled the property. We do not accept that this is the way our neighborhood or City behaves. We do not accept that one person can hurt so many with a senseless act and we sit by and do nothing."

Parish gave the following account:

An off-duty DeKalb Police Department officer working his part-time job at the drive in, heard gunshots.

Someone flagged him down and brought him to the victim.

Williams, meanwhile, fled the scene.

Another motorist called 911 and followed Williams' vehicle until police pulled in behind at I-285 to give chase.

Williams took them on a chase out of DeKalb and into Gwinnett County where he crashed his vehicle on Lilburn Stone Mountain Road near Old Tucker Road after losing control of the vehicle.

He left the crash scene and the female passanger who rode with him.

She was detained for questioning and later released.

A spokesman for the Georgia National Guard said Lenix's death is a profound loss to the entire state Guard community of 14,000.

"We would like to to express our thoughts and prayers to his family," 1st Lt. William Carraway, said. "Right now we've lost a member of our family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we will render our support to them in their time of loss."

Corey Hitchcock, who served in the Georgia National Guard with Lenix, described him as someone who always had a positive attitude and a hard worker.

"I really don't understand it," Hitchcock said, explaining he last saw Lenix two weekends ago at a "Breaking Point" show at the Georgia Renaissance Festival.

Lenix, an accomplished and award-winning martial artist, was nicknamed "Super Ninja" by his friends, Hitchcock said.

His family also has a long history in the martial arts, operating Universal Martial Arts in Stockbridge.

"He was the one man you always wanted to go out with and work with you," Hitchcock, of Boulevard Heights, said. "He always had a good attitude.

"It didn't matter how bad things were going. He always had a good attitude."

[Thanks to reader-researcher “W” for this story.]

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