Clayton County, Ga. — A former DeKalb County fifth-grade teacher has been convicted for his role in a deadly gang-related shooting that claimed the lives of two children nearly a decade ago, prosecutors announced this week.
Michael De’Sean White, who once taught at Toney Elementary School in DeKalb County, was found guilty on multiple counts connected to the 2016 shooting deaths of 11-year-old Tatiyana Coates and her 15-year-old brother, Daveon Coates. The siblings were killed when gunfire erupted at their Clayton County home in what authorities described as a gang retaliation attack.
According to prosecutors, the shooting was intended to target another teenager believed to be affiliated with a rival gang. That individual was not present at the time. Instead, the Coates siblings — who officials said were not involved in gang activity — were struck by gunfire.
Investigators said White was a member of the Rolling 20s Crips street gang and participated in the retaliatory attack. At the time of his arrest, White was working as a fifth-grade teacher in DeKalb County, a revelation that stunned parents and community members.
Law enforcement officials arrested White at the elementary school where he was employed. Authorities said he had passed background checks prior to being hired by the district.
After a lengthy investigation and trial, a jury convicted White on all counts related to the murders. Prosecutors presented witness testimony and forensic evidence tying him to the crime. Sentencing has not yet been announced.
The case has drawn renewed attention to gang violence in metro Atlanta and raised questions about how individuals with alleged gang ties can evade detection while working in positions of trust.
Family members of the victims have said they continue to seek justice and healing nearly ten years after the tragic loss of their children.
More updates will follow as sentencing proceedings are scheduled.
Video Credit: WSBTV Atlanta News