The great-nephew of iconic singer Nat King Cole was found in critical condition with multiple stab wounds to his body.
31-year-old Tracy Cole, the great-nephew of legendary American singer, jazz pianist, and actor Nathaniel Adams Cole, was repeatedly stabbed at an Atlanta apartment complex.
The young man was found bleeding profusely early Thursday morning and was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital at around 2 a.m. He was pronounced dead shortly after.
As of this writing, the hunt for the killer(s) continues and the police have yet to establish a motive for the brutal stabbing.
“He just brought an abundance of joy everywhere he went,” pastor Kevin Murriel said in a tribute to the young man.
Tracy was a cigar enthusiast who worked as a cigar salesman and had part-time jobs at Atlanta’s Fellowship Cigar Lounge and Sandy Springs’ Cigar City Club.
“The Atlanta cigar community is deeply saddened by the loss of such a vibrant soul. We at ACW extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and close friends of @tc_smokes,” the Atlantic Cigar Week account posted on social media.
Speaking out was also a dear friend of Tracy, Octavia Oliver, who said the 31-year-old was “always laughing, always smiling with his corny jokes.”
She went on to say that “everybody loved him” and that he would be missed terribly.
“Tracy had that personality that just really transcended culture, it transcended race, it transcended class. Tracy made a friend of everyone. He was family,” pastor Murriel added.
“He was more than a young man in the community. He was that child who walked the floors and aisles of the church.”
Our thoughts remain with Tracy’s loved ones during this challenging time.