Actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd was fatally shot in Georgia Saturday morning, according to Atlanta police spokesman Anthony Grant.
Officers responded to southwest Atlanta for an injured person call. When officers arrived, Byrd was found unresponsive, police said.
Byrd, 70, was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds to the back, police said.
His death and the circumstances around it are under investigation.
Byrd was born in Griffin, south of Atlanta, according to IMDb. He received a bachelor’s degree from Morris Brown College in Atlanta and a master’s degree from the California Institute of the Arts.
Byrd had been a stage actor, according to IMDb. As a film actor, Byrd worked with director Spike Lee on many projects including “He Got Game,” “Get on the Bus” and “Clockers,” Lee said in an Instagram post.
“Tom Is My Guy,” Lee said. “May We All Wish Condolences And Blessings To His Family. Rest In Peace Brother Byrd.”
CNN’s Hollie Silverman contributed to this report.
