In the early hours of Saturday, a birthday celebration turned into a nightmare for one man and his friends in the parking lot of a club in Clarkston, Georgia. According to police, 31-year-old Gary Matthews of Lithonia was found dead just after 3:55 a.m. in the parking lot of a shopping plaza at 1353 Brockett Road near U.S. 78, where he had been celebrating his birthday at an adult entertainment venue.
Matthews was sitting in a vehicle with three others — two men and two women in total, officers say — when two men stepped out of a Jeep and opened fire into their car. One of the men inside the car was hit and rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries; meanwhile, Matthews succumbed to his wounds at the scene.
Police from the Clarkston Police Department responded and were aided by the DeKalb County Police Department, though the investigation remains under Clarkston’s jurisdiction. The suspects attempted to flee in the Jeep but lost pursuit; the vehicle was later found abandoned. No arrests have been made so far.
Investigators have not yet released a motive or confirmed whether the victims and attackers knew each other. There is also no publicly provided description of the shooters beyond “two men” and no clear word on how many shots were fired or what led up to the confrontation.
At the scene, first responders observed evidence markers scattered across the pavement, and a white BMW with a riddled windshield was towed away for further examination. The vehicle appears to have been the one in which the victims were riding when the violence erupted.
Family members identified Matthews as the birthday celebrant — a detail that adds a poignant note to the tragedy. His friends had been at the club for his birthday, then left in the vehicle together when the shooting happened. His father expressed shock and sorrow at losing his son in what was meant to be a happy night.
Detectives are urging anyone with information to reach out to Detective Feltman at 678-431-1472 or email [email protected]. The investigation remains active as authorities continue to piece together motive, suspect identity, and how the shooting unfolded.
As the community grapples with this senseless act of violence, what began as a celebration will now cast a long shadow for the friends and family of Gary Matthews — and for the broader neighborhood waking up to yet another early morning shooting.