Thomas Jefferson Byrd, an actor known for his role in numerous Spike Lee films, was fatally shot in Atlanta over the weekend, police said. He was 70.
Byrd was found unresponsive with multiple gunshots in his back early Saturday morning after police were summoned to a call, spokesman Anthony Grant said in a statement, The Associated Press reported.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In an Instagram post Sunday, Lee recalled how the actor “did his thing” in his films and that he was saddened by his death.
Byrd appeared in several Spike Lee films, including “Clockers,” “Chi-Raq,” “Bamboozled,” “He Got Game” and “Da Sweet Blood of Jesus.”