Shortly after 3:50 a.m. on March 27, 2022, a deputy found an SUV stopped in a lane of traffic on Interstate 35 near Southeast 23rd Street in Oklahoma City. Inside, 30-year-old Deontae DeJuan Thomas Sr., a Black male, had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. A 24-year-old woman who had been driving the SUV was also struck by numerous bullets and taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

Oklahoma City Police launched a homicide investigation, but in the immediate aftermath no motive was apparent. Investigators made public appeals as they worked to piece together what led to the shooting, yet no suspects were identified and no arrests were announced in the days that followed. The circumstances before the vehicle came to a sudden stop remain unclear.

If anyone witnessed activity on I-35 near Southeast 23rd Street in the early morning hours of March 27, 2022, or has information about this shooting, please come forward.