This archive report was first published on 17 May 2020.
Ahmaud Arbery's Final Moments: A Reconstructed Timeline ¶
On February 23, 2020, 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed in Satilla Shores, Georgia, sparking a national debate over racial violence.
According to a reconstructed timeline by The Times, Arbery was out for a jog around 1 p.m. when he stopped on the front lawn of a house being built across the street from his own home. He glanced around and wandered into the open construction site, where security footage briefly captured him looking around.
Meanwhile, a neighbor had called 9-1-1, reporting a trespasser who resembled a recent suspect in the area. The neighbor had witnessed several trespassers on the property before, and the community was on high alert after a series of recent thefts.
Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory, grabbed their guns and jumped in a white truck to pursue Arbery. They followed him onto Burford Road, with their neighbor Roddy Bryan in tow. The McMichaels tried to cut Arbery off, but he doubled back and passed them.
As Arbery ran down Holmes Road, Gregory McMichael climbed from the cab to the bed of the truck, armed with a handgun. The pursuit continued, with Bryan filming the scene. At 1:14 p.m., Gregory McMichael dialed 9-1-1, and the fatal shooting occurred just seconds later.
According to the police report, Gregory rolled Arbery over to see if he had a weapon, but he did not. Police officers arrived within seconds of the shooting, and a minute later, they reported finding Arbery on the ground, bleeding heavily.
Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory, both face serious charges in connection with Arbery's death.
