In the spring of 2022, the life of 18-year-old Darrian Brayshawn Threets-Wiley was tragically cut short. On the evening of Saturday, March 12, 2022, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Darrian was fatally wounded by gunfire. The incident that led to his death occurred on West 65th Street, a place that would become the final scene of the young man's life.
Darrian, known to his loved ones as 'Mista,' was born on January 20, 2004, in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
He was a student who had attended England Public School, where he played football, and later McClellan School and Southwest High School in Little Rock, where he was a member of the basketball team. He was an honor graduate of the class of 2022 and had been accepted into the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, with aspirations of majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He was remembered by his family as a lovable, joyful, and playful young man who cherished spending time with his family and friends.
In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement officials began an investigation that would lead them to a suspect. A 17-year-old was identified and taken into custody in connection with Darrian's death. The legal proceedings that followed saw the case against the teenage suspect being moved to juvenile court. The charge brought against the suspect was capital murder, a serious offense that underscored the gravity of the loss suffered by the Threets-Wiley family and the community.
