ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Donald Bannister, 20, of Marietta, has pleaded guilty to one count of Voluntary Manslaughter, two counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and other charges in the shooting death of Norval Bailey in June 2021. In total, the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit has successfully resolved three of Bannister’s criminal cases in Cobb County. In the second case, Bannister has pleaded guilty to physically assaulting another inmate while in custody at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center in September 2020. In the third case, Bannister has pleaded guilty to the attempted armed robbery and assault of an 18 and 19-year-old in Marietta in January 2019. When entering his pleas, Bannister admitted to being a member of 2Solid, a hybrid criminal street gang in Cobb County with ties to the Bloods. Bannister further indicated that he had been a member of 2Solid since he was 15. The defendant was sentenced to 30 years, with the first 19 to be served in prison and the remainder on strict probation.

“Norval Bailey lost his life in a senseless shooting that should have never occurred,” said Carr. “It’s Donald Bannister’s violent actions that resulted in this tragic death and the injury of three others. Now justice has been served, and the Bailey family has finally been provided with a sense of closure as they continue to mourn the passing of their loved one.”

These cases were investigated by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, the Marietta Police Department and the Cobb County Police Department. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ryan Piechocinski, who also serves as Assistant Chief of the Gang Prosecution Unit. With this latest announcement, the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit has secured seven separate convictions in Cobb County involving five gang members, including four members of 2Solid.

“The successful prosecution of defendant Donald Bannister shows that the strength of our collective pursuit of justice is mightier than those who seek to wreak havoc upon our communities,” said Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens. “Our Fugitive Investigators Davis and Woods were instrumental in locating the subject, in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies. We remain grateful for AG Carr's commitment to tackling gang activity and providing solace to the victims' families.”

“Our officers and detectives worked tirelessly investigating the criminal activities of Donald Bannister and the 2Solid gang over the past few years,” said Marietta Police Chief Marty Ferrell. “The hard work and collaboration between multiple agencies paid off in the form of a guilty plea earlier this month. On behalf of the men and women of the Marietta Police Department, we thank Governor Kemp and Georgia Attorney General Carr for their dedication to prosecuting gang violence in our state. Gangs do not limit their criminal activity to jurisdictional borders, and collaboration like we saw in this case makes our communities safer.”

“I appreciate the efforts of all the men and women across metro Atlanta who dedicate their lives to making life safer and better for the communities we are a part of, love, and serve,” said Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer. “Along with the entire Cobb County community, I applaud and thank the civilians, officers, detectives, and agents involved in this case from the Cobb County Police Department. The Cobb County Police Department enjoys this success only because of the great work of civilians and sworn employees in law enforcement agencies across the region. The hard work and cooperative efforts from strong partner agencies like the Marietta Police Department, the Cobb County Sheriff's Office, and Attorney General Chris Carr's Gang Prosecution Unit are paramount to our collective efforts to ensure the safety of our communities. We are grateful for all those who assist in protecting our communities and will continue to work together toward that end.”

Guilty Pleas

On Nov. 1, 2023, Donald Bannister pleaded guilty to the following charges in Cobb County Superior Court.

In the shooting death of Norval Bailey in June 2021:

  • 1 count of Voluntary Manslaughter
  • 2 counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
  • 1 count of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute
  • 1 count of Attempted Sale of Marijuana

In the physical assault of another inmate in September 2020:

  • 1 count of Aggravated Assault
  • 2 counts of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act

In the attempted armed robbery and assault of an 18 and 19-year-old in January 2019:

  • 1 count of Attempted Armed Robbery
  • 1 count of Aggravated Battery
  • 1 count of Aggravated Assault

Case Summary

On Jan. 29, 2019, Donald Bannister attempted to rob an 18 and 19-year-old during a drug transaction at a Marietta hotel. Bannister pistol whipped the 19-year-old and then shot the 18-year-old. Both individuals made a full recovery. Bannister was 15-years-old at the time but his case was transferred from Juvenile to Superior Court in Cobb County.

On Sep. 24, 2020, while in custody at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on charges stemming from the incident that occurred on Jan. 29, 2019, Bannister and two others physically assaulted another inmate.

On June 15, 2021, at approximately 9:00 p.m., officers with the Marietta Police Department responded to an apartment complex on Massachusetts Avenue in Marietta, Georgia, in reference to a person shot. When officers arrived, they found Norval Bailey near the parking lot suffering from two gunshot wounds. EMS attempted life saving measures and transported Bailey to a local hospital, but he was pronounced deceased from his injuries. The investigation revealed that Bailey met with Bannister for the purpose of purchasing marijuana. During the transaction, a dispute led to a physical altercation. It was during that physical altercation that Bannister shot Bailey twice, causing Bailey’s death.

On Oct. 6, 2022, the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit indicted Bannister in the shooting death of Bailey and the assault that occurred at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

About the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit

Last year, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp and members of the General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created Georgia’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit.

Since it began its historic work on July 1, 2022, the Gang Prosecution Unit has indicted 89 alleged gang members in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Bryan, Clayton, Cobb, Dougherty, Fulton, Gwinnett, Muscogee, and Thomas counties.

The Gang Prosecution Unit is housed in the Attorney General’s Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and his Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit.

The statewide Gang Prosecution Unit is based in Atlanta, with regional, satellite prosecutors and investigators in Albany and Augusta, Georgia.

Contact

Communications Director Kara Richardson

[email protected]