In the evening hours of December 6, 2019, a burst of violence shattered the relative quiet of the Daron Village Apartments in northwest Atlanta, leaving a family and a community to grapple with a sudden and tragic loss. It was at approximately 8:15 p.m. that 32-year-old Derek Ward, an African American male, was discovered lying in the driveway of the Harwell Road apartment complex with a gunshot wound to his head.
Emergency services were quickly summoned, and Ward was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
The Atlanta Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation, believing from the outset that Ward had been specifically targeted by his assailant or assailants. Investigators began to piece together the events of that fatal Friday night, focusing on witness statements and any available surveillance footage. Their efforts soon yielded a significant lead in the form of a video that captured a small, red Hyundai sedan in the vicinity at the time of the shooting. Police believe the fatal shots were fired from this vehicle. The footage also showed two men who were identified as persons of interest in the case and whose images were released to the public in the hopes of generating leads.
One of the men sought for questioning was described as having shoulder-length dreadlocks or braids and was seen wearing a distinctive black sweatsuit with a white stripe. The second individual was described as having a low Afro. Despite the release of this information and a public appeal for assistance, the investigation into Derek Ward's murder has been met with challenges. In the years that have passed since his untimely death, no arrests have been made, and the individuals responsible for his killing remain at large. The case officially remains open, a painful and unresolved chapter for a family still seeking justice and a community still mourning the loss of one of its own.
