The Tragic Death of King Von: A Complete Chronology From the Atlanta Shooting to the Photo Leak

King Von's Fatal Night in Atlanta: The Investigation, Autopsy, and Mortuary Breach

In the early morning hours of November 6, 2020, rising Chicago drill star Dayvon Bennett, known professionally as King Von, was shot outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge in downtown Atlanta. He was 26 years old. Within hours of his death at Grady Memorial Hospital, surveillance clips, unofficial witness statements, and graphic cell phone footage flooded the internet. Tensions escalated two weeks later when Savannah rapper Quando Rondo addressed the fatal altercation on the track "End of Story," as documented in a contemporaneous Complex Report, arguing that his crew acted strictly in defense. The tragedy spiraled further when unauthorized, invasive photographs taken during Bennett's post-mortem preparation leaked across social media networks, sparking outrage from his family and exposing severe breakdowns in mortuary ethics.

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Cause of Death: The Fulton County Medical Examiner determined King Von died from multiple gunshot wounds following a close-range parking lot gunfight.
• Primary Suspect: Atlanta police arrested 22-year-old Timothy Leeks (also known as Lul Timm) at Grady Hospital, charging him with felony murder.
• The Photo Breach: Graphic mortuary table images leaked online days after Bennett's death, prompting an internal mortuary investigation and widespread condemnation from his family and estate.

The Monaco Hookah Lounge Altercation and Police Response

The shooting took place around 3:20 AM outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge on Trinity Avenue. Bennett and his associates had arrived at the club following an album release party. A separate crew associated with Savannah rapper Tyquian Bowman, known as Quando Rondo, was already outside in the parking lot. Words were exchanged. Within seconds, a fistfight broke out between Bennett and Bowman near a parked vehicle.

Gunfire erupted almost immediately. An individual emerged from a nearby vehicle and opened fire on Bennett at close range, striking him repeatedly in the torso. Two off-duty Atlanta Police Department officers working security at the venue, alongside an on-duty patrol officer nearby, ran toward the gunfire and discharged their service weapons. Six people were shot during the melee. Bennett suffered catastrophic injuries and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition by private vehicle before emergency medical teams arrived on the scene.

The Atlanta Police Department homicide unit quickly secured surveillance video from municipal cameras and private commercial systems surrounding Trinity Avenue. Those recordings proved critical. Investigators used the synchronized footage to trace the movements of every shooter, determine who fired the initial rounds, and establish that police gunfire did not strike Bennett.

Fulton County Medical Examiner and the Forensic Pathology Examination

The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted the formal forensic pathology examination on Bennett’s body. The Dayvon Bennett official report classified the death as a homicide resulting from multiple gunshot wounds. The forensic autopsy documented entry and exit wounds across Bennett's upper torso and abdomen, identifying acute internal hemorrhaging and irreversible damage to major thoracic vessels.

Doctors at Grady Memorial Hospital had rushed Bennett into emergency trauma surgery shortly after his arrival. Surgical teams performed an exploratory laparotomy and thoracotomy in an attempt to repair severed vascular structures and stem internal bleeding. Despite multiple transfusions and resuscitation efforts, Bennett was pronounced dead later that morning.

The ballistics and trauma report matched the physical injuries sustained by Bennett with 9mm ammunition recovered from the parking lot asphalt. Forensic examiners cataloged the trajectory of each round, finding downward and lateral angles consistent with surveillance footage showing the shooter firing while Bennett was moving during the physical brawl. The ballistics report confirmed that none of the rounds that hit Bennett originated from the Glock 21 .45 ACP service weapons carried by the responding Atlanta police officers.

Timeline of the Atlanta Shooting Investigation and Legal Proceedings

The rapid convergence of street violence, active-duty police response, and forensic inquiry produced a complex investigative record. The table below outlines the documented progression of events from the initial confrontation to the resolution of state charges.

The Mortuary Investigation and the Post-Mortem Photo Leak

Public grief turned to outrage less than a week after the shooting when unauthorized photographs of Bennett’s body were posted to social media platforms. The images did not originate from the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s physical autopsy files. Instead, forensic analysis of the background, lighting, and table structure confirmed the photos were taken inside an Atlanta mortuary during the embalming and preparation phase.

The leak caused severe distress to Bennett’s family. His sister, Kayla B, publicly denounced the facility and demanded criminal accountability for the employees involved. Hip-hop artists across the country urged fans not to share or view the illicit images, highlighting the violation of a deceased person's basic dignity.

The mortuary launched an internal review to determine how staff or visitors accessed the preparation room with a recording device. Georgia funeral service licensing boards enforce clear protocols regarding decedent privacy, strictly forbidding unauthorized photography inside mortuary prep suites. The incident exposed major chain-of-custody gaps in private mortuary facilities handling high-profile decedents, prompting calls for stricter civil penalties under state law.

Timothy Leeks' Arrest and the Legal Argument of Self-Defense

The criminal case centered squarely on Timothy Leeks, known as Lul Timm, who was shot during the exchange and arrested while recovering in a bed at Grady Hospital. The Atlanta Police Department charged Leeks with felony murder after video footage showed him firing the shots that struck Bennett during the scuffle with Bowman.

The defense team built its case on Georgia’s expansive self-defense statutes, specifically O.C.G.A. § 16-3-21, which covers the justified use of force in defense of oneself or a third party. The defense argued that Bennett was the primary aggressor in an unprovoked physical assault against Bowman, creating an imminent threat of serious bodily injury that legally permitted bystander intervention.

In August 2023, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office formally dismissed the felony murder charges against Leeks. Prosecutors concluded that under the letter of Georgia law, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Leeks acted without justification was legally unviable given the continuous video record of the initial assault.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What did the Fulton County Medical Examiner identify as the official cause of death?

A1: The medical examiner determined that Dayvon Bennett died from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Q2: Did the leaked autopsy photo come from the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office?

A2: No. The medical examiner's office confirmed that their official forensic records remained secure. Investigative findings indicated the photos were taken surreptitiously inside a private mortuary during embalming preparation.

Q3: Why were the murder charges against Timothy Leeks dismissed?

A3: Fulton County prosecutors dropped the charges in August 2023 because surveillance evidence supported a defense-of-others claim under Georgia law, which allows the use of deadly force to protect a third party from severe physical harm.

Q4: Did Atlanta police bullets strike King Von during the shooting?

A4: No. Independent ballistics analysis confirmed that all bullets recovered from Bennett's body matched the ammunition used by the civilian shooter, not the service weapons fired by responding Atlanta police officers.

The Lasting Impact of Dayvon Bennett's Case on Digital Privacy

The death of King Von remains a grim case study in how modern street rivalries, viral digital culture, and legal statutes intersect. Bennett was one of the most compelling lyricists of his generation, recognized for narrative clarity and vivid depictions of Chicago street life. His death cut that artistic trajectory short.

The case forced funeral homes and private mortuaries across Georgia to overhaul internal security. Many premier mortuary providers now prohibit all personal electronic devices inside prep rooms, using biometric access logs and security lockouts to protect decedents from unauthorized recording. The dismissal of charges against Leeks reaffirmed the broad reach of Georgia’s self-defense protections, leaving a legal precedent that still shapes violent crime prosecutions throughout Fulton County.