Demetrius Heard was 43 when he was shot in Columbus, Georgia, on the evening of December 18, 2023. Police were called to the 500 block of Dirk Way and found Heard, a Black male, suffering from a gunshot wound; he was taken to Piedmont Columbus Regional hospital in critical condition.

Heard died ten days later, on December 28, 2023, and the Columbus Police Department opened a homicide investigation. As of late 2023 no motive, circumstances leading to the shooting, suspects, or arrests have been publicly released. The case remains an open, active homicide investigation.

If anyone has information about what happened on Dirk Way on December 18, please contact the Columbus Police Department.