In the early hours of September 16, 2015, the life of 23-year-old Anthony Terrell Tavarez, a male resident of Mableton, Georgia, was tragically cut short. The son of a retired Atlanta police detective, Tavarez was found deceased in the breezeway of the Windwood Apartments in Austell, the victim of at least one gunshot wound. At the time of his death, he was a father to a one-year-old child, with another on the way.
Initial investigations suggested that an argument during a dice game preceded the fatal shooting. According to witnesses, a man involved in the dispute retrieved an assault rifle from a vehicle and opened fire, leaving multiple bullet holes in the apartment complex. The incident unfolded around 12:30 a.m., with police responding to numerous calls about gunfire in the area.
The investigation into Tavarez's death led to the arrests of three individuals associated with the Gangster Disciples street gang: Darius Jarrell Dunn, Melvin William Evans, and Joshua Raphal Gore. According to the arrest warrant, the motive was robbery, with the suspects taking Tavarez's iPhone and cash. During the robbery, as Tavarez attempted to flee, he was shot in the back.
Ultimately, all three men faced justice for their roles in the crime. Darius Jarrell Dunn, identified as one of the shooters, was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and violating Georgia's street gang terrorism and prevention act, receiving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Melvin William Evans, the other shooter, pleaded guilty to felony murder and gang-related charges and was sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years. The third accomplice, Joshua Raphal Gore, pleaded guilty to violating the street gang terrorism and prevention act and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by 10 years of probation.
