In the early hours of May 17, 2021, a new beginning was tragically cut short for Mayco Rodrique, a 37-year-old Black/African American man. Rodrique was a passenger in a friend's car, traveling on Atlanta's Ga. 400, when the unthinkable happened. At approximately 1:30 a.m., an individual in another vehicle opened fire, a bullet striking Rodrique in the back and piercing his heart. Despite being rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
A California native, he was a devoted father to six children and a doting grandfather to two. Seeking a fresh start and to turn his life around, he had recently relocated to Georgia with aspirations of becoming a chef and was already employed at a local restaurant. His plan was to soon move his wife of 16 years, Kanika, and their family to join him.
The shooting that claimed Mayco Rodrique's life was not an isolated incident but part of an alarming surge in violence on metro Atlanta's highways that year. His death marked the seventh fatal shooting on the area's roads in 2021, a year that saw a significant rise in gun violence, with shootings up 35% from the previous year. For over a year, his family was left with the pain of their loss and the frustration of no one being held accountable for his death. The investigation into the seemingly random act of violence continued, as his loved ones mourned a man they described as having a big heart and a love for serving others.
More than a year after the fatal shooting, a breakthrough in the case brought a measure of hope for justice. On June 10, 2022, Atlanta police announced the arrest of a suspect. Eric Lee Gibson, 35, was taken into custody in Sandy Springs. He was subsequently charged with murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, aggravated assault, and discharging a firearm near a roadway. While an arrest was made, authorities did not publicly release a motive for the shooting that ended the life of a man who was striving to build a new future for his family.
