Officials say 31-year-old Dequavious Graves, a letter carrier who worked for the Postal Service for about four years, was driving his mail route in the 2700 block of Oxford Drive near Flat Shoals Road just before 7 p.m. when he was struck by gunfire. The attack occurred in the Metro Atlanta area of DeKalb County.
Neighbors reported hearing gunshots and later saw a U.S. Postal Service truck drifting off the road before coming to a stop in a nearby yard. One resident rushed to the scene, attempting to assist Graves and alert others after seeing something was clearly wrong.
“I need help with mailman,” one neighbor was heard saying in video of the moments after the shooting. “Something is wrong with the mailman.”
Graves was taken to a hospital, but authorities confirmed he died from his injuries, devastating his family and the postal community. His mother, Shannon Graves, said she received a call from the hospital urging her to come immediately — moments later she was told her son had died. “No parent wants to bury a child,” she said in emotional remarks. “Please turn yourself in… my son didn’t deserve this.”
Friends described Graves as a loving and supportive person who had a passion for music and close relationships with those around him. One cousin recalled how Graves had personally encouraged his own creative ambitions, making the loss even harder to bear.
Federal and local authorities are leading the investigation. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service — the federal law enforcement arm responsible for crimes involving the mail and postal workers — has joined DeKalb County police, and a $250,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.
The Postal Service released a statement saying it was deeply saddened by the loss and that support services were being offered to employees affected by the incident. At this time, no suspect information has been released and the motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
As the investigation continues, the tragedy has renewed broader concerns about the safety of postal workers — public servants who continue to face risks while performing duties that many Americans rely on every day.
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