Leroy Ramos, a 47-year-old male, had recently relocated from New York and begun a new chapter of his life in Decatur, Georgia, working as a MARTA bus driver. A father to two daughters and a son, he was only a few months into his new job when his life was tragically cut short on the evening of Friday, January 3, 2025. The fatal encounter began over a dispute concerning a $2.50 bus fare at the Decatur MARTA station.
The argument, which started on the bus, involved three male juveniles and escalated after they all disembarked. The disagreement turned into a physical altercation, culminating in one of the teens pulling out a gun and firing multiple shots. Ramos was struck by the gunfire and, despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, succumbed to his injuries. The incident, which occurred around 6:30 p.m., also resulted in a bystander sustaining a superficial wound from a ricocheting bullet.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement officials apprehended two of the suspects. A third suspect, believed to be the gunman, turned himself in to the DeKalb County police a few days later. The three juveniles, two 16-year-olds and a 14-year-old, were initially all charged with murder.
As the investigation progressed, a DeKalb County Magistrate Court Judge determined there was sufficient evidence to proceed with felony murder and aggravated assault charges against one of the 16-year-olds, who was identified as the alleged shooter. Following a thorough review of the evidence, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office dismissed the charges against the other two teenagers, concluding they had not participated in the actual shooting. The case against the remaining 16-year-old suspect is set to be prosecuted in DeKalb County Juvenile Court. Due to the suspect's status as a minor, his name has not been publicly released.
