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Mom says she held dying son in arms after Cleveland Avenue apartments shooting

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Published  May 2, 2022 8:59pm EDT
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Man killed at Atlanta apartment was defending sister, fiancé says

The 22-year-old stepped in when men were physically assaulting his sister, family says. The victim's sister was shot in the leg and grazed on the arm.

ATLANTA - The mother of a 22-year-old man shot and killed outside his Cleveland Avenue apartment said she brought her family to Atlanta from Toledo, Ohio for a safer environment.

Sheryl Wells said her son, Delano Wells Jr. died in her arms after someone shot him as he defended his younger sister, Kassandra. 

Ms. Wells said her downstairs neighbors have had an ongoing dispute with her family at the Fairway Gardens apartments. She said her family did everything they could to avoid conflict, but another dispute took place Saturday night.

The distraught mother said her son, who had a heart of gold. She said her 17-year-old daughter had been jumped on and was being physically assaulted by their neighbors when Delano intervened. 

"She went to go tell ‘Lano. He came out to mediate the situation. They were beating her, they started attacking him, then they started shooting. One bullet hit her thigh, the other grazed her on the arm and his body was here on the ground," said Isaac Marbial, Delano's fiancé, said with tears in his eyes.

Ms. Wells admits her son, who aspired to be a screenwriter and filmmaker, legally had a weapon and only used it that night while defending his sister. Kassandra and the three other women who were shot will recover, but Delano died on the scene.

"He was the most responsible gun owner. He kept it locked and put up and would only bring it out to protect those that he loved," said Marbial.

Delando's fiancé has started a GoFundMe page to help the family with medical expenses and funds to relocate. 

Atlanta police are working the case. They are talking to several witnesses who saw the shooting and are cooperating, but at this point they have made no arrests.