On a summer evening in Dublin, Georgia, the life of 28-year-old Kristopher B. O'Neal was tragically cut short. On June 28, 2020, O'Neal, a father and a man described by his family as the 'life of the party,' was fatally shot in the parking lot of a local Walmart. The incident, which stemmed from an altercation, led to the immediate arrest of a Walmart employee, Jaron Darrisaw. O'Neal was at the store to drop off an employee when the confrontation occurred, resulting in him suffering several gunshot wounds and being pronounced dead at the scene.
Kristopher was a family man, a devoted father to his daughters, with a third daughter on the way whom he would never get to meet. His mother, Carolyn O'Neal, remembers him as her 'go-to guy,' a loving and big-hearted individual who would do anything for the people he loved. He was employed at the West Rock Paper Mill and was known for his love for his family and his favorite basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers, whose colors, purple and yellow, his family use to adorn his grave.
In the wake of the shooting, Jaron Darrisaw was taken into custody and charged in connection with O'Neal's death. The legal proceedings that followed have been a long and arduous journey for O'Neal's family. Darrisaw's initial trial in Laurens County Superior Court concluded in a mistrial in May 2024, as the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the murder charge. As of late May 2025, the family was still awaiting a date for a new trial, holding onto hope for justice for Kristopher. While they wait, they continue to honor his memory, celebrating his birthday as a holiday to keep his spirit alive.
