Nationwide — D’Anthony Reaves, a 44-year-old African American father from Atlanta, Georgia, was shot and killed early Saturday near the Greyhound station downtown while returning to retrieve his bike. He was a father to 20 children, and his family remembers him as a lively and loving presence. The shooting happened just after 5 a.m. near the intersection of Forsyth and Garnett Streets. According to his family, Reaves had gone back to the area to get his bike when someone approached and shot him. He died at the scene.
Atlanta Police have not yet identified a suspect or released any details about the shooter. Officers stayed in the area for several hours but cleared the scene by mid-morning.
Later that evening, family and friends gathered for a candlelight vigil near the site of the shooting. Many wore red and black in tribute to Reaves’ favorite football team, the Atlanta Falcons.
His older brother, Deoineta Hightower, called Reaves a free spirit who brought joy wherever he went.
“He wasn’t just my baby brother, he was my hype man,” Hightower told 13 WMAZ. “Every morning I was looking for that call, it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be hard for me and my family.”
Hightower also called on local leaders to strengthen gun laws, saying his brother’s death should not be ignored.
“My brother is not gonna die in vain,” Hightower said. “Y’all remember my face, y’all gonna hear this voice, from the day ’til I leave up out of here, y’all gonna hear me talk about this situation until something change.”