In the pre-dawn hours of July 2, 2026, a volley of gunfire struck a home on Rockcliff Road in the Gresham Park area of DeKalb County, Georgia. Forty-five-year-old Chauncey Newman and 13-year-old Demarcus Shirley were both hit and died at the scene; several other people, including a group of boys having a sleepover, were in the residence when numerous shots were fired into it.

Newman, known in the community as Pops, had moved to the Atlanta area from Baltimore and was described by neighbors and an online fundraiser as someone who ran an informal group home for teens and young men, mentoring them and providing shelter. Friends expressed shock and grief, saying he had turned his life around and embraced many as his own.

On July 7, 2026, 21-year-old Keyshun Webb was arrested in Hampton, Georgia, and charged with two counts of murder, eight counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, and one count of cruelty to animals; he is being held without bond. Investigators had not released a motive.

If anyone knew Chauncey Newman or has information about what happened that morning, please share what can help the investigation.