On a late spring evening in Decatur, Georgia, the life of 16-year-old Christopher Devante Moore was tragically cut short in a spray of bullets. On Monday, May 29, 2017, the male teenager was inside a home in the 3800 block of Redan Road when a vehicle drove by and unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the residence. Relatives reported that Moore and others were playing video games at the time of the shooting.
The DeKalb County Police responded to a 911 call around 9:30 p.m.
and discovered a chaotic scene. Moore and 20-year-old Andrew Lightfoot-Johnson were found wounded in the kitchen. A third victim, 28-year-old Destin Lewis, who had initially fled, returned to the scene with a minor gunshot wound. All three victims were transported to local hospitals. Christopher, having sustained the most severe injuries, was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. The other two victims were treated for their injuries and were expected to recover.
Witnesses at the scene could only report seeing an unidentified vehicle speeding away from the area after the shooting, but were unable to provide a detailed description to aid law enforcement in their investigation. The community mourned the loss of the Towers High School student, holding a vigil in his memory.
The narrative surrounding Christopher's death took a dark turn less than two weeks later. On June 8, 2017, a man named Travis Traion Minor walked into the Lucky Panda restaurant on South Hairston Road and fatally shot 21-year-old Dedrick Davis. Witnesses to the restaurant shooting told police they heard the gunman say, 'This is for my nephew,' as he opened fire. Subsequent investigations revealed that Minor was the uncle of Christopher Moore. During a preliminary hearing, a DeKalb County detective testified that it was believed Davis was involved in the drive-by shooting that killed Moore, suggesting the restaurant slaying was an act of retaliation. While Minor was arrested and charged with the murder of Dedrick Davis, no arrests have ever been publicly announced in the drive-by shooting that claimed the life of Christopher Devante Moore. The case of his death remains without a formal resolution.
