Murder case dismissed for Macon man, court records say. What we know
The case against a Macon man who allegedly shot and killed another while defending himself and his brother in 2021 has been dismissed.
Khalil Malik Raines was charged in the killing of Shawn Watts Jr., 24, who died on Nov. 16, 2021, behind a duplex in Macon’s Pleasant Hill neighborhood, according to previous Telegraph reporting.
However, issues with evidence found at the scene led Assistant District Attorney Kyle Owenby to determine that he couldn’t prosecute the case “beyond a reasonable doubt,” court records from Monday show.
Khalil Raines’ malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and firearm possession during the commission of a felony charges were dismissed on May 6, court records show.
Why was his case dismissed?
Owenby said in court documents that the two cartridge casings recovered didn’t match the guns in the scene. He said it “supports the conclusion that ... evidence had been taken/removed,” court records show.
“The conclusion to be drawn is that (Watts) possessed two guns, one in his vehicle that was recovered on scene and the other that he used to shoot at the defendant,” Owenby said in court documents. “The shooting took place after (Watts) had shot the defendant’s brother in front of him.”
Raines claimed he shot Watts in self-defense
On the day of the shooting, Khalil Raines received a call from Cleveland Raines, his younger brother, who said someone had “taken something from him,” according to court records.
Khalil Raines ran to help his younger brother, who was outside a Pleasant Hill house, surrounded by “approximately 15 to 20 individuals standing between two houses … arguing,” court records show.
“Watts approached the Defendant and put his forehead to the Defendant’s forehead in a menacing manner,” court records said. “Shawn allegedly told the Defendant that he had just snatched Cleveland’s gun from him and they were not getting it back.”
Watts shot Cleveland Raines twice in his leg. Cleveland Raines was trying to get up from the ground, but Watts pointed the gun toward him and Khalil Raines, according to court records.
Khalil Raines saw a gun close by, on top of a white Honda truck, and picked it up, court records showed. A shooting ensued between the group, with Watts firing shots toward Khalil Raines.
Watts attempted to run away while firing shots toward Khalil Raines. The defendant returned fire until he noticed Watts on the ground.
Khalil Raines then took his younger brother to the hospital.
“Raines was caught in a war zone that day of the incident and all the actions he took that day were reasonable and in defense of himself and his brother,” according to Debra Gomez, who spoke on Raines’ behalf in an immunity hearing on Sept. 29, 2025, according to court documents.
This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 3:12 PM.
