In a startling Instagram announcement, Director Spike Lee revealed that actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd was murdered in Atlanta on Saturday. Details of Byrd’s death have not been revealed or confirmed by police.
Byrd was a regular actor in Spike Lee films starring in Get On The Bus, He Got Game, Clockers, and Chi-Raq, to name a few.
“I’m sad to announce the tragic murder of our beloved brother Thomas Jefferson Byrd last night in Atlanta, Georgia. Tom is my guy,” Spike Lee wrote on the Instagram post. “May we all wish condolences and blessings to his family. Rest in peace Brother Byrd.”
Byrd’s death was also confirmed by comedian Jay Washington on Twitter. Washington posted a photo he took with Lee and Byrd, along with a tribute.
Byrd was an actor that was recognizable mainly for his roles in Spike Lee films. A graduate of the HBCU Morris Brown College and the California Institute of the Arts, he acted in film and theater productions.
Details of his death have yet to be reported. Rest In Peace.
