ATLANTA, GA. (THECOUNT) — Thomas Jefferson Byrd, an actor who has appeared in multiple Spike Lee films, was reportedly murdered in Atlanta, Georgia overnight. He was 70.

Lee took to Instagram on Sunday morning to announce the sad news of Byrd’s passing.

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Lee did not reveal any details surrounding Byrd’s alleged murder. The director paid tribute to the actor, writing that he hopes “we all wish condolences and blessings to his family.”

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Atlanta is the capital of the U.S. state of Georgia. It played an important part in both the Civil War and the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Atlanta History Center chronicles the city’s past, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site is dedicated to the African-American leader’s life and times. Downtown, Centennial Olympic Park, built for the 1996 Olympics, encompasses the massive Georgia Aquarium – wikipedia.