In a tragic incident in Georgia, a sleepover turned deadly for a 13-year-old boy who was fatally shot when a gunman unleashed a barrage of bullets into a house during the night. This horrifying attack also resulted in the death of a 45-year-old man.
The young victim, identified as Demarcus Shirley, was spending the night with several friends at a home in DeKalb County when gunfire shattered the pre-dawn calm on July 2.
According to investigators, multiple rounds were fired into the residence, tragically killing both Demarcus and the older victim, Chauncey Newman. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Remarkably, the other children present in the house escaped unharmed physically, despite the terrifying events that unfolded.
In a significant development days after the shooting, authorities apprehended 21-year-old Keyshun Webb. He now faces charges for the murders as the investigation delves into suspicions of a gang-related motive behind the violent assault.
DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Webb was arrested on July 7 in connection with the deadly shooting.
He is being held without bond at the DeKalb County Jail and faces two counts of murder, eight counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and one count of cruelty to animals.
According to arrest warrants obtained by Atlanta News First, investigators believe Webb was also involved in another drive-by shooting on the same day.
Demarcus Shirley, 13, was fatally shot while at a sleepover at a friend’s DeKalb County home after a gunman fired dozens of rounds into the house
Chauncey Newman, 45, was also killed in the shooting. He was remembered by neighborhood children as a kind man who let youngsters into his home when they had nowhere else to go
Authorities said shell casings recovered from both crime scenes matched, and investigators determined gang involvement was ‘likely.’
Police believe two vehicles carrying four male suspects were involved in the shootings, although no additional arrests have been announced.
As detectives continue piecing together the attack, friends and relatives are remembering Demarcus as an energetic teenager whose life was cut tragically short.
‘He seemed eager to learn. Kind of athletic,’ his great-uncle, Gregory Carthon, told Atlanta News First. ‘He had a lot of life in front of him.’
Heartbreaking video shared by family members showed Demarcus smiling and enjoying Father’s Day celebrations with loved ones little more than a week before he was killed.
For the boys who survived the shooting, the trauma remains overwhelming.
Larenzo Pinkins, who had been sleeping inside the house, recalled the horrifying moment he discovered his friend.
‘We had come upstairs, and I had seen him, and I tried to grab him, and he was dead. Demarcus,’ Pinkins told 11Alive.
Keyshun Webb, 21, has been charged with two counts of murder, eight counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and one count of cruelty to animals. He and is being held without bond
Consumed by grief, he struggled to explain why he wished he could have taken his friend’s place.
‘I’m happy it wasn’t me. I’m happy I wasn’t hit, but it should’ve been me, though, before Demarcus,’ he said. ‘Demarcus had too much life to live. He died too young.’
Another boy who survived the attack, Larry Bell-Ware, said Demarcus had no connection to violence.
‘He wasn’t in the streets at all,’ Bell-Ware said. ‘He’s just a funny little kid who liked to run around and play like a normal little kid.’
Pinkins said the pair had become inseparable.
‘He was really like my little brother for real. I’ve been with him every day for like two months,’ he told 11Alive.
The children also remembered Newman, whose home had become a safe haven for neighborhood youngsters.
Bell-Ware said Newman never turned children away if they needed somewhere to spend time.
‘He let us come over there when we had nowhere to go. Anybody,’ Bell-Ware said. ‘Any kids who were ever just walking around and didn’t have anywhere to go, they could just come here. He was just a good person in general.’
Authorities have not publicly disclosed what investigators believe sparked the fatal shooting.
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to identify the remaining suspects they believe were involved.