In the early hours of October 27, 2023, the life of 48-year-old Philip Anthony Mock, a white male, was tragically cut short on the Truman Parkway in Savannah, Georgia. A lifelong resident of the city and a respected auto technician for over three decades, Mock was known by friends and family as a loving husband, father, and grandfather with a ready sense of humor and a willingness to always help others. It was this inherent desire to assist that placed him in the path of a fatal encounter.
That morning, at approximately 12:20 a.m., Savannah Police responded to reports of a man lying in the roadway between Henry and Wheaton Streets. Upon arrival, they discovered Mock's body, the victim of a fatal gunshot wound. Nearby, off the road, lay the body of 19-year-old Shaliyah Collins, who had also been shot to death. Accounts from a fundraising page set up by Collins's sister indicate that Collins had been picked up from her job shortly after 11:00 p.m. by someone she knew. A short time later, she was shot. It is believed that Mock, in a final act of selflessness, was attempting to intervene and save Collins's life when he too was killed.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led authorities to a suspect. Two days after the shootings, on October 29, 2023, 46-year-old Derek Maurice Johnson was apprehended in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of homicide. While authorities have not released extensive details about the motive, some online sources suggest the initial altercation may have been with Collins.
Following his arrest, Johnson was booked into the Chatham County Jail on November 4, 2023, on two counts of murder. As of early 2024, the case against him is proceeding through the legal system, with court records indicating an arraignment was scheduled. However, further details regarding a plea, trial dates, or a conviction have not yet been made publicly available as the case remains ongoing.
