On a summer day in Mobile, Alabama, the life of 19-year-old Derrick 'DJ' Carson III was tragically cut short. On July 3, 2021, Carson was walking along Middle Ring Road when a vehicle driven by Victor Aaron Roland approached. Roland proceeded to open fire, firing multiple shots at Carson. In a desperate attempt to save his own life, Carson ran from his attacker, but his efforts were in vain. He collapsed and died a few hundred feet from where the shooting began.
The young man, who was a member of the U.S. Army, was remembered as smart, witty, and someone who loved his family and life.
The senseless act of violence, as described by Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood, led to the arrest of Victor Aaron Roland. The legal process that followed culminated on April 3, 2025, when a Mobile County Circuit Court Judge found Roland guilty of the intentional murder of Derrick Carson. The conviction was the result of a bench trial where Judge Brandy Hambright delivered the guilty verdict.
Following the conviction, the community awaited the sentencing of Victor Roland, which was scheduled for May 15, 2025. The prosecution, led by Assistant District Attorneys Megan Everett and Dru Stuardi, brought a measure of justice to the family and friends of Derrick Carson, who died running for his life in a brutal and unjustified attack.
