On a late Saturday evening in Washington, Georgia, a young mother's life was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence. Deondra Barksdale, a 23-year-old single mother, was fatally wounded on June 24, 2023, after being struck by a stray bullet. The incident occurred just before 11 p.m. as she was leaving a local package store after buying juice for her young daughter.
That evening, a dispute broke out near the store, escalating to the point of gunfire.
During the altercation, Cedric Antonio Norman, 21 years old at the time, is accused of firing a weapon. One of the bullets tragically struck Deondra Barksdale in the head. In the chaos, Norman's own mother was also shot in the arm as she reportedly tried to intervene. Deondra was initially transported to a local hospital by a private vehicle before being airlifted to a trauma center in Augusta, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
Following the shooting, law enforcement, including the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, launched a search for Norman. After several days, he surrendered to the authorities at the Wilkes County Sheriff's department, accompanied by family members.
Cedric Antonio Norman has since been charged with a litany of offenses, including murder, four counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and gang-related activity. He remains incarcerated at the Wilkes County Jail under a substantial bond as he awaits trial. The case is set to be prosecuted by the District Attorney's Office.
