Franklin's first homicide of 2025 was a drug deal gone wrong, according to details in an affidavit filed in the Williamson County General Sessions Court.

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Robert Lee Fitzgerald, Jr.

37-year-old Robert Lee Fitzgerald, Jr., of Columbia was arrested on Feb. 17, six days after the shooting and charged with criminal homicide, and jailed on a $1 million bond. He is due to appear in court Tuesday, Feb. 25.

As previously reported, Franklin Police officers responded to Valor Court around 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 after "officers were advised that multiple shots were fired, and a vehicle revved its engine loudly before leaving the scene."

Police found 32-year-old Lattarius Johnson, according to the affidavit, in a ditch with a gunshot wound to his head. He had no pulse and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

According to the affidavit, bystanders identified a man named Kendrick Leach as someone who was at the scene of the shooting.

Police contacted Leach by phone and he agreed to meet with detectives on the morning of Feb. 12 where he "admitted that he met with Latarrius Johnson, also known as 'Piggy,' to buy pills" at the Valor Court home.

Leach told police that he had traveled from Columbia with Fitzgerald, also known as "Pee Wee," to Valor Court. He told police he became suspicious when they arrived because “Johnson did not have the drugs ready.”

The drug deal was then moved inside of a car that did not belong to any of the men.

"Kendrick realized that Latarrius did not have the pills and Kendrick got angry,” the affidavit reads. “All three men exited the vehicle and Kendrick and Latarrius shoved each other before Latarrius grabbed a gun inside his front hoodie pocket. Kendrick stated 'Pee Wee' shot Latarrius because 'Pee Wee' believed they were about to get shot themselves."

After the shooting, Fitzgerald left the scene with Leach driving Fitzgerald's vehicle.

Detectives later executed a search warrant on Leach's phone, and Leach told detectives that "he was not going down for the shooting," admitting that Fitzgerald had shot Johnson.