In the early morning hours of June 13, 2014, the life of 18-year-old Darius Bottoms was tragically cut short in what would later be described as a senseless act of mistaken identity. A young African American man, Bottoms was a college student with a promising future, studying business at Atlanta Metropolitan State College. He was driving in southwest Atlanta after an evening spent playing video games with a friend when his car was ambushed.
In a sudden hail of gunfire, Bottoms was struck in the head and killed, while his passenger was left unharmed but undoubtedly shaken. He was not involved in any illicit activities and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a grim narrative of escalating gang violence. Detectives determined that Bottoms had been wrongfully identified as a rival gang member by his assailants. This case of mistaken identity was a tragic consequence of ongoing retaliatory acts between street gangs in the area. The senselessness of the crime was underscored by the fact that Darius Bottoms had no affiliation with any gang. The investigation was complex, and for a time, leads seemed to dry up, causing anguish for his family, which included his aunt, then-Atlanta City Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms. A significant breakthrough came months later when a ballistic test connected a gun found on a man already in custody, 18-year-old David Wallace, to the bullets that killed Bottoms.
This crucial piece of evidence led to the arrests of David Dajunta Wallace, Rashad Barber, and Ryan Bowdery. The three men were indicted on multiple charges, including murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and participation in criminal street gang activity. Their legal journey was prolonged, with the first trial ending in a mistrial in August 2017 due to juror misconduct, after it was discovered a juror had conducted their own investigation. However, the prosecution persisted, and a second trial was held.
In December 2017, a jury found all three men guilty. Rashad Barber, 19 at the time of sentencing, and Ryan Bowdery, 23, were convicted of a slate of charges including malice murder and felony murder. David Dajunta Wallace, then 22, was convicted of felony murder, among other charges. The sentences reflected the severity of their crimes: Barber received life in prison plus 25 years, Bowdery was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years, and Wallace was given life in prison plus five years, finally bringing a measure of justice to the family of Darius Bottoms.
