Nat King Cole’s Great-Nephew Tracy Cole Fatally Stabbed in Atlanta: Reports

BY: Walker

Published 1 year ago

The great-nephew of the legendary American singer Nat King Cole was stabbed to death in downtown Atlanta as police continue to hunt for a suspect in the brazen killing.

via: People

Tracy Cole was attacked at around 2 a.m. in the 300 block of Centennial Olympic Park NE and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard NW, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

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Atlanta Police said he was stabbed multiple times before being taken to a local hospital, where he died, per the outlet. Police continue to search for a suspect and motive, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.

“Please come forward if you know anything,” Lionel Cole, Tracy’s uncle, told WSB-TV.

Of Tracy, Cascade United Methodist Church Senior Pastor Kevin Murriel told Fox 5 Atlanta that he “had that personality that just really transcended culture, it transcended race, it transcended class.”

“Tracy made a friend of everyone. He was family. He was more than a young man in the community,” Murriel added. “He was that child who walked the floors and aisles of the church. He just brought an abundance of joy everywhere he went.”

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“I met Tracy probably when his grandfather brought him to the Nancy Wilson concert at Chastain Park during the Atlanta Jazz Festival,” family friend Camille Love told WSB-TV.

Love added, “He was delightful, you know? He was just kind, gentle, easygoing. Liked the good life. You know, just an all-around good guy.”

Cole was the grandson of Freddy Cole, Nat King Cole’s brother, who was also an accomplished musician, according to WSB-TV.

Cole was a self-described “Atlanta Cigar Aficionado,” according to his Instagram bio.

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Atlanta Cigar Week, a venue dedicated to cigar enthusiasts, posted a tribute to Cole on its Instagram page, alongside a photo of him.

“The Atlanta cigar community is deeply saddened by the loss of such a vibrant soul,” the caption read, in part.

The Atlanta Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Wednesday.

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