🌱 Macon Teen Denied Bond On Murder Charge + Youth & Illegal Guns

Hey, neighbors. It's Saturday in Macon and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: A morning thunderstorm; warm. High: 83 Low: 61.
• Sunday: Cloudy, a shower and t-storm. High: 77 Low: 63.

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Here are the top three stories in Macon today:

1. A Macon teen, who is charged with murder, made her first court appearance and was denied bond. Zanaria Rashada, 17, allegedly stabbed 16-year-old Gregory Smith once in the chest with a knife on Mar. 22 at Waverly Pointe Apartments, possibly after an argument on Instagram. (13WMAZ.com)
2. Macon District Attorney Anita R. Howard and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agent Robert Davis spoke about youth obtaining illegal guns and the "cycle of violence and preventable tragedies." According to Davis, "It's not uncommon to get kids 12-13 years old to be in possession of a firearm." And in 2022, Davis said 36 percent of the 960 illegal guns seized in Middle Georgia were associated with someone 24 years old and younger. Fifty-six firearms were associated with children 17 and younger. Howard said individuals possessing an illegal firearm "will be held responsible by this administration." (WGXA)
3. On Mar. 24, 42-year-old Christopher Tyrone Anthony of Macon was arrested in connection to a burglary at Dollar General on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect broke into the Dollar General through the back wall and stole two shopping carts filled with up to $1,000 of merchandise, including several boxes of cigarettes, cleaning supplies, and cellphone accessories. Anthony was later spotted pushing one of the shopping carts and was arrested. He was charged with first-degree burglary. (41 NBC News)

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Today and tomorrow in Macon:

Saturday, March 25

• The Speedy Steve Show At The Historic Douglass Theater (4:00 PM)
• Moses Mo Performing With Mothers Finest At Central City Park (7:00 PM)

Sunday, March 26

• Macon Rocks With Macon Pops At Carolyn Crayton Park (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Macon’s historic Rose Hill Cemetery has heightened security efforts, including new security cameras, after countless instances of vandalism. Joey Fernandez, of Rose Hill Preservation and Restoration, said, "If you really want to stop [vandalism], if you really want to prosecute people doing it, you have to have proof. Cameras will give the proof needed in court. There won't be a question of who you are. I guarantee they won’t do it in this area without getting caught." (WGXA)
• The Macon200's Bicentennial Art Show opened on Mar. 24! The show celebrates 200 years of Macon and local artists. The show will be open at the Macon Mall on Fridays and Saturdays, from 12-5 p.m. through the end of the bicentennial year. (13WMAZ.com)
• An adorable young tortoiseshell kitten named Bunny is looking for her forever family! See Bunny and more adoptable pets in the Macon area at the link. (Macon Patch)

That's it for today! I'll see you back in your inbox soon with your next update.

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!