In the early morning hours of July 2, 2026, a summer sleepover among a group of young boys in a DeKalb County home on Rockcliff Road turned into a scene of tragedy. Thirteen-year-old Demarcus Shirley was inside the residence, along with several other children and adults, when the house was riddled with bullets from the outside. The gunfire, which erupted while many of the occupants were sleeping, claimed the lives of both Demarcus and 45-year-old Chauncey Newman.
Friends who were present at the time recounted the harrowing experience of being awakened by the sound of gunshots. One of the teens who was asleep in the home described the chaos and the heartbreaking discovery of his friend, Demarcus, in the aftermath.
The news of the double homicide sent ripples of grief and shock through the community. Family and friends remembered Demarcus as a "funny little kid who liked to run around and play like a normal little kid" with his whole life ahead of him. Friends who survived the shooting expressed their profound loss and disbelief, with one stating, "Demarcus had too much life to live. He died too young." Chauncey Newman, the adult victim, was known affectionately as "Pops" by the neighborhood youth. He was described as a loving family man with a big heart who would often provide a safe place for children who had nowhere else to go. The home on Rockcliff Road was seen by some as an unofficial group home where Newman mentored several teens and young men.
The investigation into the senseless killings quickly led to a breakthrough. On July 7, 2026, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, arrested 21-year-old Keyshun Webb in Hampton, Georgia. Webb has been charged with two counts of murder, eight counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, and one count of cruelty to animals in connection with the shooting. While authorities have not yet released a motive for the attack, the arrest brought a small measure of relief to a community mourning the loss of two of its members. The case against Webb is now pending in the legal system, with the community awaiting further details on the circumstances that led to the tragic and untimely deaths of a young boy and a man who had opened his home to others.
