On a November evening in 2014, a visit to his father's home in southeast Atlanta turned tragic for 19-year-old Joshua N. Barkley. The young man, an African American male, was inside the residence on Richmond Avenue when two or three men reportedly knocked on the door and opened fire. The shooting, which occurred on November 29, 2014, resulted in the deaths of Barkley and two other men, 51-year-old Ricky Whitlock and 43-year-old Marcus Gay.
Two other individuals inside the home were also shot but survived the attack.
The assailants fled the scene, leaving behind a community in shock and a family devastated by the sudden loss. Barkley, a father to a newborn son, was described by his mother as a life taken without remorse. In the days and years that followed, the Atlanta Police Department worked to identify those responsible for the triple homicide. In 2015, investigators released composite sketches of two men wanted in connection with the murders, hoping the public could help identify them.
Despite the release of the sketches and ongoing investigative efforts, the case grew cold, and no arrests have been made in the years since the shooting. Joshua Barkley's family has been relentless in their pursuit of justice, actively working to keep the case in the public eye through vigils and media appearances. In an effort to generate new leads, the family has contributed to the reward offered by Crime Stoppers, which has been increased in the hope that a financial incentive will encourage someone with information to come forward. The case of who killed Joshua Barkley, Ricky Whitlock, and Marcus Gay remains unsolved, and the suspects are still at large.
