A passerby found 35-year-old Steven Thomaston of Lawrenceville lying dead in the middle of a remote, tree-lined dirt road on Stanley Road in Dacula at about 10 p.m. on a Tuesday. Gwinnett County police responded and determined Thomaston had died from at least one gunshot wound and treated the scene as a homicide.

The road is tucked behind Winder Highway, with no nearby homes, businesses, or vehicles at the scene. Detectives focused on reconstructing Thomaston’s last hours and identifying anyone he had been with. Investigators later said the shooting stemmed from an altercation and that the shooter knew Thomaston; authorities concluded the act was in self-defense and announced no charges would be filed. The shooter’s identity has not been released.

If anyone was in the area that night or knew Thomaston’s movements before he was found, please come forward with information.