Abel Alejandro Unzicker-Chavez, 36, was fatally shot outside his Snellville, Georgia, home in the early hours of Sunday, January 11, 2026. Officers responding to a distress call found him with a gunshot wound on Saddle Ridge Drive, just off Centerville Highway, at about 3:10 a.m. Family described Unzicker-Chavez as a dedicated family man and a hard-working father of two young girls.

Investigators identified a suspect, 30-year-old neighbor Derrick Devon Thomas, who was taken into custody and charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Authorities said Thomas’s prior felony convictions made firearm possession illegal. No motive has been released; police have characterized the shooting as an isolated incident and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Anyone who has information about what happened that night is asked to contact the Gwinnett County Police Department.