A man fixing a lawnmower died after gunfire hit the property.
EAST POINT, Ga. — A mother of six says her family is moving after a deadly April shooting on Ben Hill Road sent bullets through her East Point home and killed a man working outside.
The shooting killed Amondre Michael Zepeda, who police say was helping repair a lawnmower when gunfire broke out. East Point police later arrested 19-year-old Amari Martin and charged him with murder. Martin also faces multiple counts of first-degree cruelty to children because six children were inside the house when rounds struck it.
According to arrest warrants, a vehicle pulled up near the home before shots were fired. Witnesses told police they heard laughter from inside the vehicle moments before the attack. At least 20 rounds were fired, investigators said. Zepeda was shot in the head, and another man was hit in the hand. Zepeda died three days later at a hospital.
Arlana Johnson, who lives at the home, said she was in the back of the house cooking when the first sounds rang out. “Someone just pulled up and started shooting,” Johnson said. She said her children, who range in age from 3 to 13, dropped to the floor and tried to move away from the bullets.
Police records say investigators linked Martin to the case through cellphone records, a rental vehicle and ballistic evidence connected to another case. Authorities have not released a motive. They also have not said whether they are searching for other suspects or whether anyone else may face charges in connection with the shooting.
Johnson said the gunfire damaged items throughout the home, including televisions hit by bullets. She said the house no longer feels safe for her family. The shooting, she said, turned an ordinary moment outside the home into a scene of panic as adults tried to reach cover and children hid inside.
The case is now moving through the criminal process after Martin’s arrest. Police have not announced further public findings. Johnson said she tried to help Zepeda after the shooting and remains shaken by what happened outside her home on Ben Hill Road.
Author note: Last updated June 25, 2026.