Atlanta teen shot and killed after knocking on wrong apartment door

After being dropped off by Lyft, Omarian Banks mistook a neighbor’s apartment door for his own and was shot and killed.

Mar 30, 2019
Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

After being dropped off by his Lyft, a teen mistook a neighbor’s apartment door for his own and that tragic mistake has cost him his life.

Omarian Banks, 19, took a Lyft and was left off near the wrong breezeway around 12:30 am Friday. According to WSB-TV 2, police say, Banks and his girlfriend had just moved to The Retreat apartments on Fairburn Road and Banks wasn’t familiar with the area. He went to what he thought was his apartment—upstairs and to the left—but he was at the wrong door.

—Police release body camera footage of the fatal shooting of California rapper Willie McCoy—

Darryl Bynes, 32, confronted Banks on his balcony shortly after he had already walked away from the door and allegedly shot Banks several times. Banks was FaceTiming with his girlfriend during the incident

“I heard him say, ‘Sorry, I’m at the wrong house.’ Then the man said, ‘No you’re not. N****, you at the right house.’ And he shot two more times,” Banks’ girlfriend told WSB-TV 2.

Bynes initially claimed that he shot Banks in self-defense, but police believe Banks was shot as he was going down the stairs. Several other witnesses told a similar story of Banks begging for his life and trying to express that there was a misunderstanding.

“I see him running around the corner and all you hear him saying is, ‘I am sorry. It was the wrong door,’” a neighbor said. “(He said), ‘You ain’t come to the wrong door’ and shot him a third time. I saw him drop to the ground.”

—Liam Neeson apologizes once again for a racially charged statement—

A family friend, Michael Wallace, expressed his grief after the passing of Banks.

“This is a 19-year-old child that didn’t even deserve to die, that hasn’t even lived his life,” Wallace said.

Bynes’ family has declared his innocence.

“He is an innocent father. He has five kids. He was protecting his family. His truck was stolen earlier this week, right now, he’s just trying to protect his family,” said his cousin, Makayla Johnson.

Bynes has been charged with murder and is being held at the Fulton County Jail. He is expected to go before a judge on Monday.

 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE