In the late hours of a mild October evening, the life of 38-year-old Darius Ellis, a Black male, was tragically cut short in what police describe as a calculated ambush. Just before midnight on October 19, 2023, Ellis was returning to his Del City, Oklahoma, home on Southeast 27th Street after his shift. As he arrived, a suspect who had been lying in wait for an hour, hiding behind a vehicle, ran out and confronted him.
An altercation ensued, and Ellis was fatally shot in his own front yard.
His fiancée, Amanda Brock, found him moments later, a devastating discovery that has haunted her since. The couple had been planning their wedding for the following year. Del City Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire around midnight and pronounced Ellis dead at the scene. Investigators believe the gunman did not act alone. Surveillance footage captured a red SUV dropping off the suspect, indicating at least two people were involved in the targeted attack.
Despite the release of surveillance video showing the moments leading up to the murder, the case has grown cold. The Del City Police Department, working with the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, has pursued several leads but has not yet identified a suspect or made any arrests. A vehicle linked to the shooting was identified, but further details have not been made public. Two years after his death, Ellis's family continues to seek answers and justice, left to wonder who would have wanted to harm the man they described as a hardworking family man. Authorities continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward.
