On Tuesday, June 7, Macon-Bibb County – at the authorization of Mayor Lester Miller – filed a Verified Complaint to Abate Public Nuisance and For Injunctive Release against Friends Food Mart (3350 Houston Avenue), and a hearing for a temporary restraining order was held the same day. The complaint was filed after two people lost their lives in a shooting on the property on June 6, 2022.
Bibb County Superior Court Senior Judge Bryant Culpepper signed a Temporary Restraining Order against Friends for 30 days, requiring it to close immediately upon the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) serving notice. There will be a hearing on the complaint on June 29.
“The loss of any life – no matter who it is or what the situation – is a tragedy. Families and friends are in mourning today, and others were mourning a month ago when another young man was killed here,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “It’s for those in mourning and for every person in Macon-Bibb that we have are taking every action possible to more proactively address violent crime.”
The complaint was filed because the business is a well-known center of frequent serious criminal activity, including violent offenses and drug activity. The BSO regularly patrols the area due to the amount of illegal drug, violent, and gang-related activities, devoting substantial public resources, attention, patrols, time, and operations to Friends. Multiple reports confirm substantial criminal and drug-related activity is regularly conducted on or about the property. More than 20 relevant incident reports from 2020 to present were filed with the complaint.
“Public safety is the top priority for our community. At every single Macon Violence Prevention forum we held, we heard directly from people living in neighborhoods that they wanted more programs for youth, more mental health services, more blight removal, and stronger enforcement of our laws,” adds Mayor Miller. “We have begun the proactive work of providing more services, programs, and outreach efforts, but we must also continue moving forward with enforcing our laws and holding people and businesses accountable for their actions…or inactions.”