As the July 25 anniversary creeps closer, the family of Derek Cummings is bracing for a painful milestone and pleading once again for answers. Cummings, 32, a Decatur father of three, was fatally shot last year after a pursuit that ended outside a DeKalb County fire station. Loved ones say they are still without arrests or closure as the date approaches.
Family members told reporters they are frustrated and increasingly desperate for leads while investigators continue to work the case. Relatives say there are still no suspects in custody, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
What happened
The shooting unfolded on July 25, 2025, after the family says Cummings, who ran a small lawn-care business, chased a car that had taken an item from his work truck. The pursuit ended at a fire station on Columbia Drive, where Cummings was shot and later died at Grady Memorial Hospital. "Derek was a good-hearted person," his mother told FOX 5 Atlanta. The loss left a fiancée and three children, including a newborn, without their father.
Police appeal and funeral fund
DeKalb County detectives say the investigation is ongoing and are again asking anyone with information to contact them. As reported by the Miami Herald, police have advised that anonymous tips can be submitted by texting "DKPD" to 847411, and the family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.
Where it happened
The shooting occurred outside DeKalb County Fire Station 7 on Columbia Drive, a location the county lists at 1712 Columbia Drive. County public notices list the station as a community distribution point a short drive east of downtown Decatur, and the county notice includes the station address. DeKalb County.
One year later
Hoodline covered the original killing last summer, and the family's renewed public appeal underscores how many local homicides remain unresolved months later. For background on the killing and the family's initial reaction, see the community's grief last summer.
