In the late hours of a Monday night in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the life of 26-year-old Drel Elijah Timmons was tragically cut short. On May 18, 2026, police responded to a report of a weapon being discharged on Highland Avenue. Upon arrival, they received another call about a man lying in a parking lot in the same area. There, they discovered Drel Elijah Timmons with a gunshot wound. Despite the efforts of the officers to render aid, Timmons was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators stated that the incident did not appear to be a random act of violence.
The investigation into the death of Drel Timmons moved swiftly. Winston-Salem police identified and arrested three suspects in connection with the homicide. The men taken into custody were 19-year-old Aquavvis Hickman, 20-year-old Aldo Roman Vega, and 18-year-old Roberto Salazar Jr. All three individuals are facing charges of murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Following their arrests, Hickman, Roman Vega, and Salazar Jr. appeared in court. A judge denied bond for all three suspects, and they are currently being held in custody. The motive for the shooting has not yet been released by investigators. The case against the three men is now moving through the judicial system, with the community and the family of Drel Timmons awaiting the outcome of the legal proceedings. The arrests brought a swift, though not final, development in a case that began with a fatal shooting in a parking lot.
