Friday, March 8, 2024–10:12 a.m.
-John Bailey, Rome News-Tribune-
One family lost their son permanently to a bullet, another has now lost their son — at least for a time — to prison.
The incident started as an argument between Idris Dennis and Tyberious Byers at their workplace on Knollwood Drive in March 2023.
Prosecutors said that Byers, who was smaller, pushed Dennis several times during that argument and Dennis refused to fight him. After initially leaving, Dennis returned with an AR-15 rifle hidden in his jacket and the confrontation resumed.
A witness said Byers pushed Dennis several times and then grabbed Dennis under the arms as if he was going to pick him up. The witness told police he got in between them several times to break them up but Byers kept coming at Dennis. Then, they said, they heard a loud boom. Dennis had shot Byers in the chest with an AR-15 rifle, killing him.
“I just want to apologize (to Byers’ family) and apologize to my family as well,” Dennis said, calling his actions a mistake. He said he looked up to Byers and thought he was a cool person who overcame a lot of obstacles in life.
“Today (the incident) was referred to as a mistake. It was not a mistake. It was a choice,” Assistant District Attorney Emily Johnson said. “(Dennis) made a choice by going to get a gun and then returning. He was larger. He knew (Byers) was mad and chose to come back with a gun.
“(Dennis) brought a gun to a fistfight, which is an epidemic right now in Floyd County,” she said. “We are not here because of a mistake. We’re here because of a choice. Mr. Dennis will have so many opportunities that (Byers) will never have because of his choice.”
Members of the two families packed the courtroom and spoke of loss. One family had already been mourning the loss of their loved one and the other would soon lose their loved one to prison.
The victim’s family talked of all the things that make a life. They spoke of his humor, working to buy a car and the pride that came with that purchase.
“Tyberious was one of the most humble boys there ever has been,” his mother, Leighann Byers, said.
They spoke of him crying at the movie “Black Panther” and talking about how it affected him. They talked about their loss without him there.
“You didn’t just put a bullet in (Byers), you put a bullet in our family,” his cousin told the court. “He was 21 years old. His life was worth way more than that.”
The pain expressed by each of the families was even more intense because the two men had been friends at one time.
“I hope Father God can help me find forgiveness but right now I’m stuck with the pain,” another family member told the judge. “This malicious behavior and cowardly act from Idris took a beautiful life… and we want justice.”
Dennis pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and Judge John “Jack” Niedrach sentenced him to serve nine years in prison and another 11 years of probation as part of a plea deal.
“The loss of a 21-year-old son is a traumatic event that you’ll never overcome,” Niedrach said to the Byers family. “But it gives the court no pleasure to sentence someone to prison in the prime of his youth. But as Mr. Byers’ family has said, justice must be served.”
