In the summer of 2023, a young man's life was tragically cut short in what Gwinnett County police believe was a drug-related robbery. On the afternoon of July 9th, 20-year-old Rasheed Joseph, a resident of Stonecrest, was driven by his mother to McCalla Court in Snellville, Georgia. Shortly after their arrival, a man entered their vehicle and shot Joseph in the chest before stealing cash from his pocket.
The harrowing event unfolded in front of Joseph's mother, who fled the scene in her
car and stopped at a nearby Chevron gas station on Lenora Church Road to seek help. Emergency services responded to the scene and transported Joseph to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. He succumbed to his injuries and passed away the following day, July 10th.
The investigation into the shooting led Gwinnett County police to identify 26-year-old Benny Thomas Gary of Snellville as the primary suspect. A SWAT team later arrested Gary at a residence on Jonesboro Road in DeKalb County. He was subsequently booked into the Gwinnett County Jail and charged with felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and two firearm possession charges.
According to reports, a second man was also involved in the incident. He was described as emerging from a wooded area near McCalla Court armed with two handguns. During the robbery, as his mother pleaded with the assailants, one of the men reportedly told her that her son would be okay while continuing to demand money from him. While Gary was apprehended, it is unclear from the initial reports if the second individual was ever identified or taken into custody. Investigators have stated they believe the incident was drug-related.
