McKinley Eric Drakeford III, 33, was fatally shot in southwest Atlanta in the early hours of Friday, April 18, 2025. Police were called to a Newcastle Street home just after midnight and found Drakeford unresponsive with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man at the residence sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Drakeford was born November 21, 1991, and had moved from Goldsboro, North Carolina, to Atlanta in 2015. He was a father and a student in Georgia Tech’s computer engineering program. He enjoyed spending time with family, skateboarding, and playing video games.

The investigation remains active and no motive or suspects have been released. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to come forward.