DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Police are working to find the gunman who killed a father outside a DeKalb County gas station early Wednesday morning.
The 39-year-old victim was shot multiple times in the parking lot of a Citgo station on Moreland Avenue, according to DeKalb police. He was dead when officers arrived just after 1 a.m.
The man was not identified by police, but family identified him as Javon Ladson. Ladson's family told Channel 2's Lauren Pozen that he had gone into the store to buy a candy bar.
Pozen met with Ladson's wife, Kendra Dixon, and his aunt, Elaine Morgan, as the family held a prayer circle for Ladson.
Dixon said she hasn’t been able to sleep all night and believes her husband was targeted.
“They said it was like 20 to 30 shell casings. As I pulled up, he was right here, slumped in front of the car,” Dixon said.
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Morgan told Pozen the shooter was relentless and that she wants justice for her nephew.
“They need to be off the street because this is a heinous murder. This is overkill," she said.
Pozen checked with the manager of the gas station about surveillance video. He told Pozen there are several cameras, but they didn’t capture anything.
So far, police said they have no leads on a possible suspect or suspects. As police try to track down who is responsible, Ladson’s family has this message.
“Turn yourself in and please have some remorse,” Morgan said. “He was a nice man, a nice father. He had a 1-year-old son that was his only child.”
On Wednesday night, a vigil was held for Ladson. Loved ones lit candles and released balloons in his honor. They described him as a loving father who provided for his family.