Derrick DeUndra Harvey Jr., a 22-year-old male of Black ethnicity from Houston, Texas, tragically passed away on February 6, 2021. He was fatally shot multiple times in a parking lot located at the 8600 block of Sterlingshire Street in northeast Houston. Paramedics pronounced him deceased at the scene.
Following the incident, the Houston Police Department launched an investigation.
Witnesses reported seeing a skinny Black male running from the scene and getting into a burnt orange Mitsubishi Eclipse that fled westbound from the location. Surveillance video released by HPD showed a person of interest wanted for questioning in the incident.
On April 2, 2021, the HPD announced the arrest of Geovanni Watkins, a 22-year-old male, who was charged with murder in connection with Derrick Harvey Jr.'s death. Watkins was taken into custody without incident and was later charged in the 228th State District Court. At the time of his arrest, Watkins was out on bond for a previous aggravated robbery charge and had a warrant for unlawful carrying of a weapon.
The case drew significant attention due to the violent weekend during which Derrick Harvey Jr. was killed, with at least 11 people shot across Houston. Harvey's family members stood alongside HPD's homicide investigators during a news conference to address the latest steps taken in solving the case.
The investigation and subsequent arrest of Watkins brought some closure to Harvey's family, but the tragic loss of a young life underscored the ongoing challenges of gun violence in the community.
