Five of the six individuals charged with murder in the March 2023 shooting death of newlywed Antwan Penn, seen inset with his bride, Courtney Penn, who was also injured. Brothers Zaydren Thomas, on the top left, and Donnellius Thomas, on the top right, are accused of murder along with four teenagers. (Albany Police Department; Screengrab/WALB)
A grieving widow and newlywed who narrowly escaped death penned a harrowing victim impact statement about her life after the shocking and cruel violence that recently took her husband’s life.
Antwan Penn, 35, and his wife, Courtney Duncan-Penn, 32, were shot in an ambush in Albany, Georgia, in March. Police believe the couple were the victims of a gang-related attack; caught in the crossfire of a flurry of bullets. They had only been married for four months.
The couple was in the process of trying to pick a family member up from a dance when they heard an awful but unmistakable sound on South Cleveland Street. Antwan Penn suffered a gunshot to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene inside the couple’s Nissan Altima. Courtney Penn was also shot in the head and the arm but survived.
“I can’t sleep or eat,” Courtney Penn wrote in the court document, filed May 19, and since obtained by Law&Crime.
“I lost the love of my life,” the statement goes on. “I’m on depression medication [and] sleeping meds. I have flashbacks [and] PTSD. Can’t deal with loud noise. I don’t watch TV. I have to sleep with a light on. I cry every day. Anxiety x 10. Can’t be alone. My mom [has] been staying with me. I’ve lost over 12 lbs.”
The deceased man’s obituary described him as the “brightest light in the room”:
Simply a true joy to everyone around him, Antwan had a great sense of humor and a dazzling smile. He saw all people as important and worthy of friendship and compassion. Friends and family all describe him as the “brightest light in the room,” someone who always brought great energy and a sense of peace. Although his physical being is at rest, his love, strength, and the warmth of his spirit will forever be felt by the many people who knew and loved him.
Those words will be used in the prosecution of six individuals recently arrested for their alleged role in the fatal gangland violence.
On May 9, six people were arrested by the Albany Police Department and charged with murder: including four teenagers; Nekhi Parks, 18, Montrez Nix, 17, Brian Massey Jr., 15, and Nicholas Collier, 15; as well as adult brothers; Zaydren Thomas, 20, and Donnellius Thomas, 22, police announced.
Law enforcement also shared details about the circumstances in which the shooting is believed to have occurred.
“There was a previous incident that happened probably about 30 minutes to an hour before that where one of the gang member’s family member’s house had been shot up. And they were going out looking for those perpetrators,” APD Sergeant Lataevia Jackson said in comments reported by local NBC and ABC affiliate WALB. “In the process, Mr. Penn and Ms. Penn, they mistook their vehicle for some suspect vehicles and ended up shooting.”
“Mr. Penn and Mrs. Penn were coming from a family function,” Jackson added in comments reported by Atlanta-based ABC affiliate WSB-TV.
Mugshots for five of the six individuals accused in the shooting have been released so far.
Antwan Penn left behind five children.
“I will never see my husband again,” Courtney Penn’s statement goes on. “When I want to see my husband I have to close my eyes.”
The widow also notes that she is left alone to deal with rent and all the other bills – not to mention the medical bills that have been piling up since she was shot that, she says, are taking away from her ability to buy “food” and other “necessities” for her family.
“In November 2022, Antwan married the love of his life, Courtney Duncan,” Antwan Penn’s obituary continues. “She was the air that he breathed and the sparkle in his eyes, and they cherished every moment that they shared together. Not only was he a loving and devoted husband, but an awesome father and great provider for his family.”
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