In the evening hours of November 30, a 31-year-old man by the name of Rafeeq Badee was working as a Lyft driver in Decatur, Georgia, when his life was tragically cut short. Badee, who often drove for the rideshare company before or after his security job in Atlanta, had just activated his Lyft app. Around 7:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Parkway Grand Apartment Complex on Woodberry Place, witnesses reported hearing the sound of gunshots, followed by a man's scream.
When DeKalb County police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Badee lying in the parking lot, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. His car and phone had been stolen.
Emergency medical services transported Badee to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. His family described him as a 'beautiful soul' and a 'hard-working, God-fearing man' who was dedicated to his community and family. His mother, LaGina Living, expressed that she always cautioned him to be careful and that the loss was a senseless act of violence. Lyft issued a statement expressing their condolences and confirmed they were cooperating with the investigation. The rider Badee was scheduled to pick up at the time of the incident has been permanently banned from the platform.
The investigation into Rafeeq Badee's death led to the identification and arrest of three suspects. Days after the shooting, 28-year-old David Grogan turned himself into police headquarters. After being interviewed by homicide investigators, he was arrested and charged with felony murder and armed robbery. The investigation continued as police believed others were involved. In mid-January, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, two more suspects were apprehended. Ja'Quan Deodrick Smith, 18, attempted to evade capture by jumping from a second-story window but was taken into custody after receiving medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. A third suspect, a juvenile whose name and age have not been released, was also arrested. Both Smith and the juvenile are facing charges of murder and armed robbery. All three suspects are being held without bond.
