Douglas Waters was a 32-year-old Black man from Akron, Ohio, known as a devoted father to his two young children. His family described him as a genuine and caring person with an infectious sense of humor who loved to mentor young people. His brother, Dominique, said he was a bright light who loved being a dad and helping his family and friends, which made his sudden death all the more shocking to those who knew him.
In the early morning hours of November 22, 2024, just a week before his
33rd birthday, two men forced their way into the Wren Walk apartment where Waters was staying with his girlfriend. The couple was in bed when the intruders broke in. One of the men, DeVionne Bigby, allegedly restrained Waters’ girlfriend while the other, Gerald Wilson, shot Waters multiple times. First responders arrived around 2:30 a.m. and found Waters with critical injuries. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:53 a.m.
The attack was not random, and the investigation moved quickly. Waters' girlfriend was able to identify both assailants to police, telling them that one was her sister’s boyfriend, DeVionne Bigby, and the other was his friend, Gerald Wilson. She identified Wilson as the man who fired the shots. Officers located Wilson a short time later on Vernon Odom Boulevard; he had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the home invasion and was taken into custody after receiving medical treatment. Bigby was arrested without incident hours later in the 2500 block of Ogden Avenue.
Both Gerald Wilson, 25, and DeVionne Bigby, 26, were charged with murder, aggravated burglary, and felonious assault. Investigators later revealed that before the shooting, Wilson had expressed a desire to confront Waters out of jealousy over his girlfriend.
In August 2025, Gerald Wilson pleaded no contest to two counts of murder, one count of aggravated burglary, and one count of felonious assault. He was found guilty and sentenced to serve 18 years to life in prison. As of that month, his co-defendant, DeVionne Bigby, was scheduled to stand trial in November 2025.
