In the pre-dawn hours of July 2, 2026, a hail of bullets shattered the quiet of a Gresham Park neighborhood in DeKalb County, Georgia, ending the life of 45-year-old Chauncey Newman. The shooting, which occurred just before 4 a.m. on Rockcliff Road, also claimed the life of 13-year-old Demarcus Shirley. Authorities reported that numerous shots were fired into the residence where Newman, Shirley, and several other individuals, including a group of young boys having a sleepover, were present.
Newman and the young teen were struck by the gunfire and succumbed to their injuries at the scene.
Newman, known affectionately as "Pops" in the community, was remembered as a mentor who had turned his own life around after a troubled past in Baltimore. He had moved to the Atlanta area and was reportedly running an informal group home, taking in teenagers and young men to guide them toward a better path. Neighbors and friends expressed their shock and grief, struggling to understand why someone dedicated to helping others would become a victim of such a violent act. Many who knew him said he provided a safe haven for kids who had nowhere else to go. An online fundraiser described him as a loving family man with a big heart who embraced many as his own.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led law enforcement to a suspect. On July 7, 2026, 21-year-old Keyshun Webb was apprehended in Hampton, Georgia, by a team of officers from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Clayton County Police Department. Webb was arrested and faces a slew of felony charges, including two counts of murder, eight counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, and one count of cruelty to animals. He is being held without bond at the DeKalb County Jail. While an arrest has been made, the motive for the shooting has not been released by investigators. The case against Webb is now pending in the legal system, with no information yet available regarding a trial, conviction, or sentencing as the proceedings are in their early stages. The overview of the case is a tragic story of a beloved community mentor and a young boy whose lives were cut short by a violent shooting, leading to the swift arrest of a young suspect now facing multiple murder charges.
