In the winter of 2022, a 15-year-old African American male named Kelvice Roberson Jr. lost his life in a shooting in Southwest Atlanta. On the afternoon of January 15th, the South Atlanta High School freshman was at the Dunbar Neighborhood Center on Windsor Street when gunfire erupted. Kelvice was struck and was later pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital.
Another man who was with him was also shot but survived his injuries.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a gun transaction that went awry among people who were acquainted. His mother, however, expressed doubts that her son was involved in the sale of a weapon. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that Kelvice's mother had lost another son to gun violence less than five years prior. Kelvice was remembered by his mother as a sweet boy who enjoyed drawing and rapping.
In the months following the shooting, the Atlanta Police Department made arrests in connection with the homicide. One individual, To'Cara Laster, was charged with murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery, with warrants suggesting Laster had robbed Roberson and the other man of firearms before the shooting. In July of the same year, a second suspect, 20-year-old Jabari Dixon, was arrested by a SWAT team and also charged with murder.
