29-07-2025
Dad ‘with big dreams' shot dead trying to stop suspected thief, GA family says
A father of three was fatally shot while chasing a suspected thief, his family said.
Now, Georgia police are searching for his killer.
Officers were called around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, July 25, about a shooting outside DeKalb County Fire Station 7 in Decatur, according to the DeKalb County Police Department.
They found Derek Cummings, 32, who was shot and later died from his injuries.
Family members said Cummings was doing yard work at a nearby business when someone stole lawn equipment from his truck, WSB-TV and WAGA reported.
Following the suspected thief in his truck, the chase ended at the fire station, where Cummings was shot, relatives told WAGA. The family said the suspected thief took off in his truck.
Authorities said they're investigating the 'possibility of a fight elsewhere' that led to the deadly shooting. No arrests had been made as of Tuesday, July 29.
Cummings' family described him as a 'young man with big dreams ... and a heart full of love.'
'He was only trying to build a better life,' his mother, Sharon Jennings, wrote on a GoFundMe started by the family. 'He took pride in his work and even more pride in being a new dad. He couldn't stop talking about his baby boy.'
He is survived by his fiancée and three kids, including a newborn, WSB-TV reported.
'He loved his kids,' Cummings's fiancée, Jennifer Leriche, told WAGA 'They took him too early. He was a good person.'
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked contact the DeKalb County Police Department, or submit an anonymous tip by texting 'DKPD' to 847411, police said.
Decatur is about a 10-mile drive northeast from downtown Atlanta.
