A disturbing story out of Albany, Georgia, is getting even more attention after old social media posts belonging to 15-year-old Austin Payne began circulating online following his murder.
Payne was found shot to death inside an abandoned apartment on November 1, just one day after Halloween. While investigators continue working to determine exactly what happened, images and videos from the teenager’s social media accounts have sparked additional conversations about his online activity and the things he was allegedly involved in before his death.
Among the posts circulating online are photographs showing Payne posing with firearms, along with a disturbing video that appears to show him shooting a turtle multiple times with a gun.
Another photograph reportedly shows the teenager smoking what appears to be marijuana.
The footage involving the turtle has particularly disturbed people online, with many questioning why someone so young would allegedly be involved in something like that.
However, it is important to note that the social media posts do not establish that Payne was convicted of any crimes related to the incidents, and authorities have not publicly confirmed criminal charges against him involving the alleged conduct.
Austin Payne Was Reportedly Targeted Over a Gun
According to reporting from WALB, investigators believe Payne may have been targeted during an attempted robbery involving a handgun he had recently displayed on social media.
Witnesses reportedly told investigators they were walking with Payne along a path between Sands Drive and Cameo Lane when several armed individuals approached them, demanded their belongings and opened fire.
Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage that helped establish a timeline of the events leading up to Payne’s death.
According to the police report, six individuals were seen walking toward an abandoned apartment around 7:35 p.m. on Halloween night. At approximately 7:58 p.m., surveillance footage captured someone jumping out of a window.
Around 8:03 p.m., Payne reportedly called his mother and told her he had been shot and needed help.
His mother initially believed he might have been joking because of previous remarks, but became increasingly concerned when she could no longer reach him.
The following morning, she used phone tracking to locate him at an abandoned apartment on Cameo Lane, where she discovered her son unresponsive.
Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler pronounced the teenager dead at the scene.
Following an investigation, Albany police announced the arrests of four individuals accused of being involved in Payne’s killing.
Those arrested include 22-year-old Detravion Parker, 15-year-old Jansquincey Donaldson, 15-year-old Omari Marion and 16-year-old Adarious Wallace.
All four were charged with murder and transported to the Dougherty County Jail.
Authorities have also identified a fifth suspect, Lametrious Sear. On November 10, Albany police announced a $1,000 reward for information leading to his location and described him as armed and dangerous.
Investigators have not publicly established the precise role each suspect allegedly played in Payne’s death.
The four defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
A Disturbing Story That Continues to Raise Questions
Payne’s death has now become the center of two separate conversations online: the circumstances surrounding his killing and the disturbing material that has resurfaced from his social media accounts.
The video allegedly showing him shooting a turtle, along with photographs of him posing with firearms, has generated strong reactions as people continue discussing the teenager’s online activity.
For now, the homicide investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are continuing to seek information that could help bring everyone involved in the killing to justice.
INBOX: From 15-year-old Austin Payne’s Instagram “moneymotion36,” images of him with two firearms, drugs, and vapes, plus a turtle video.
Austin has gone viral amid notes that major news organizations have said little about his death.
Three Black teens and a Black man have been booked on charges related to his Halloween death.
— The Facts Dude 🤙🏽 (@Thefactsdude) November 8, 2026
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