DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A man was killed in an early morning home invasion at a DeKalb County apartment complex.
Channel 2's Kristen Holloway was at the scene on Columbia and Rainbow Drive in Decatur, where police told her a man identified as 24-year-old Jeremy Riley was found dead in one of the apartments.
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Holloway learned that Riley's mother walked into her unit at the Abbey Road Condos during the incident around 7 a.m. and then chased the three suspects, crashing on Interstate 20. She suffered minor injuries.
Neighbors said they heard several gunshots and saw the gunmen racing out of the community.
"It's always sad when someone's life is taken," neighbor Omar Howard said.
The suspects are still on the loose. They were last seen driving a gray SUV.
“If anybody was on the interstate and saw the altercation between the victim and his mother that would be very, very helpful. It would be an altercation between a red car and a gray SUV with possible out of state tags,” Sgt. Lynn Shuler said.
There were three other people, including children, inside the house during the home invasion, police said.
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"Great dude: I don't see how this happened to him at all," Riley's cousin Darius Brown told Channel 2's Tom Jones.
Brown said he's hurting and confused. He wants to know how his cousin ended up murdered inside his mother's home.
"He wasn't trying to do nothing but protect his family. It went left," Brown said.
It's a bizarre case police admit they are still trying to figure out. Investigators couldn't say if they've determined a motive.
"It's brand new in the investigation. That hasn't been covered yet," said Shuler, with the DeKalb County Police Department.
"(Riley) was a great dude, never got into it with nobody. Never been to jail," Brown said.
Brown said his cousin attended Georgia State University and was about to graduate. Now, his hopes and dreams have been dashed.
"I want them folks to be found. That's it. I don't know who know them. I don't know nothing. But I want justice. That's it," Brown said.
Those with information are urged to call DeKalb County police.
CLICK HERE for information on a GoFundMe account set up to help the family.