Man Charged in 2023 West End Homicide After Two-Year Investigation

Atlanta Police have charged 42-year-old Blain Stafford with Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in connection to a 2023 shooting in the West End neighborhood.

The charges stem from a February 17, 2023, incident that occurred around 4:54 p.m. at 1376 Allegheny St. SW. Officers from Atlanta Police Zone 4 responded to reports of a person shot. Upon arrival, they found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, later identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office as 20-year-old Julian Kolb of Hampton, GA, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The scene was processed by Crime Scene Technicians, and representatives from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office responded.

According to APD, the suspect was unknown at the time of the incident. After a two-year investigation, Stafford was identified as the shooter and formally charged on May 27, 2025. He is currently being held at the Fulton County Jail on unrelated charges.

Atlanta Police also released the 911 call made by a female witness during the 2023 incident. In the audio, the caller reported a fight between two men followed by gunfire. “A man is shot and laying in the street,” the woman told dispatchers. She also described seeing a car near the victim’s body and noted that “there’s a baby in the car,” but she was afraid to approach the vehicle.