A routine mail run in DeKalb County ended in tragedy on Thursday when a 31-year-old U.S. Postal Service worker was shot and killed while delivering mail near Oxford Drive. Neighbors said he was behind the wheel of his USPS truck when the gunfire erupted, abruptly cutting short an ordinary workday and leaving a stunned community searching for answers.
Family members and neighbors identified the carrier as 31-year-old Dequavious Graves. Relatives said he had worked for the Postal Service for about four years and had been assigned at times to the Wesley Chapel post office, according to WSB-TV. His cousin, Nosakhere Andrews, told the outlet, “The hardest part is just knowing I’ll never talk to him again,” capturing the family’s grief as they wait for developments in the case. Authorities have not yet released any suspect information.
Investigation Underway
DeKalb County police are investigating the fatal shooting, with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service taking the federal lead because the crime targeted a postal employee on the job. The Postal Inspection Service, which enforces more than 200 federal statutes and handles crimes involving the mail and postal workers, outlines its mission and responsibilities on the Postal Inspection Service. Anyone with information is urged to contact DeKalb County Police at (404) 294-2911 or call the Postal Inspection Service tip line at 1-877-876-2455.
Remembering Graves
Friends say Graves was more than a dedicated mail carrier. He was known as funny, stylish and deeply into music. A 2019 local feature profiled his work as a producer under the name BigQuay Beatz and showed how he balanced a day job with creative ambitions, according to VoyageATL. The piece described someone who poured himself into his art while still showing up for work and family.
How To Help
Investigators are asking anyone who was in the Oxford Drive area around the time of the shooting to come forward with anything they saw or heard, no matter how small it might seem. Tips can be submitted to DeKalb County Police or to the Postal Inspection Service. The agency lists 1-877-876-2455 as the number to report crimes involving the mail. As of now, authorities have not announced any arrests or released a suspect description.
