GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Snellville man will spend 25 years in prison after a Gwinnett County jury convicted him of a violent crime spree that left one former high school basketball teammate with brain damage.
Jet Horne, 20, was found guilty of 20 counts, including criminal attempt to commit a felony, aggravated assault, and hijacking a motor vehicle for three separate attacks between December 2024 and May 2025.
He was sentenced to 30 years, with 25 to serve.
“We definitely feel good about it,” said Muna Ansah, sister of victim Talal Ansah. “We can finally calm down and just be at peace knowing that he’s behind bars.”
The violence began on Rosebud Drive near Snellville around 11 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2024, when police say Horne ambushed Talal Ansah as he returned home from work.
Investigators say Horne shot his former South Gwinnett High School basketball teammate eight times, including once in the head.
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The 21-year-old survived but remains non-verbal and is preparing for aggressive therapy to relearn how to walk and talk.
“Never in a million years would we think that something like this would happen to my family,” Ansah said.
Three months later, on March 22, 2025, police say Horne shot at another former classmate sitting in a car. Stray bullets struck neighboring homes and injured a bystander.
On May 16, 2025, Horne carjacked a third victim at gunpoint before police tracked him down with a K-9 unit.
Investigators linked all three incidents by comparing ballistics from the first two shootings to handguns recovered from a stolen vehicle.
The motive remains unclear, though Horne’s family mentioned he experienced a mental health crisis after losing his brother, according to Ansah’s family.
“We already had a feeling that we would never know why he did what he did,” Ansah’s sister said.
Despite the trauma, the Ansah family remains hopeful about Talal’s recovery.
The 21-year-old is responsive, and his family says he knows about the verdict. He’s working to regain basic abilities like eating solid food after 11 months without traditional meals.
“Talal loves to eat, so having to basically relearn your taste buds is big for him because that’s our normal, and now his normal is completely different,” his sister said.
His family continues to seek donations through GoFundMe for the long-term rehabilitation ahead. Despite the trauma, the Ansah family remains hopeful about Talal’s recovery.
“He’s going to be able to walk and talk, and you would never think that he’s been shot,” Ansah said.
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