Delano Wells Jr., a 22-year-old Black or African American man, was fatally shot on the night of April 30, 2022, at an apartment complex on Cleveland Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Having moved to Atlanta from Toledo, Ohio, with his family, Wells had aspirations of becoming a screenwriter and filmmaker. The incident that led to his death also resulted in gunshot injuries to four women.
Accounts of the events that transpired that evening differ.
According to Wells's mother, her son was defending his 17-year-old sister from a group of neighbors when the altercation turned violent. She stated that her son, who she described as having a heart of gold, died in her arms. Wells's mother also acknowledged that her son legally owned a firearm and only used it that night to protect his sister.
However, a different perspective was provided by the women involved in the dispute. They reported that they were celebrating a birthday when Wells confronted them, accusing the group of disrespecting his sister, whom they said they did not know. One of the women stated that Wells initiated a physical fight and then retrieved a gun from a fanny pack, shooting one of her family members in the legs. She claimed that after this, he began shooting indiscriminately.
In the ensuing chaos, one of the women in the birthday party found her own gun and fired back at Wells, killing him. She maintained that her actions were in defense of her family. This woman later stated that Atlanta police informed her she would not be facing any charges in connection with the shooting. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, police confirmed they were speaking with several cooperating witnesses but had not made any arrests.
