In the spring of 2020, the life of a promising young man, Arnold 'Tre' Leslie III, was tragically cut short at the age of 20. On the evening of Monday, April 6th, what began as a dispute earlier in the day escalated into fatal violence outside a home on Needle Rock Drive in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Leslie, a former football player for Tucker High School who had earned a full scholarship to Western Kentucky University, was standing outside with another individual when a vehicle approached them just before midnight.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from the car in a drive-by shooting that shattered the late-night quiet. Both Leslie and the other person were struck. Emergency services were called, and Leslie was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved too severe, and he succumbed to them. The second victim sustained only minor injuries. The news of the death of the fun-loving and protective young man, known affectionately as 'Tre' or 'Trebo,' sent shockwaves of grief through his family and community.
The DeKalb County police quickly launched an investigation into the shooting. Their efforts led to the arrest of 22-year-old Carey Darnell Jackson III of Lithonia the following day. Authorities believed the shooting was not a random act of violence but the culmination of the earlier dispute between Jackson and the victims. Jackson was subsequently booked into the DeKalb County Jail, facing serious charges that included one count of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault. At the time of his arrest, detectives were also actively searching for a second suspect who was believed to have been involved in the deadly encounter.
