Mother visits site of Marietta teen's killing
Police seek 2 suspects


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/23/08

Blood marks the spot where Samuel "Dra" Steward was shot Tuesday night.

"Look at all that blood," whispered his mother, Cordelia Gober Wednesday afternoon.

Family photo
Samuel 'Dra' Steward, 16, died Wednesday after being taken off life support.
 
Yolanda Rodriguez/yrodriguez@ajc.com
Cordelia Gober, 40, visits the spot where her son, Samuel Steward, was shot Tuesday night. 'Look at all that blood,' she whispered.
 
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Her son was shot twice in the head following an argument with two young men.

He was taken off life support and died at WellStar Kennestone Hospital Wednesday morning, she said.

Marietta police are looking for two suspects in the shooting.

"Dra was the kid that would find the good in any situation," Gober said.

The teen was a student at Osborne High School.

"He was humble," she said as cars slowed at the intersection of Avery Street and Allgood Road, where the shooting occurred.

Three Teddy bears were taped to a utility pole.

A handwritten note said: "RIP We Luv You Dre."

Steward was 16 years old.

About 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, Steward and a friend were standing on Allgood Road and Avery Street, said Officer Mark Bishop, a Marietta police spokesman.

When two males in a dark Ford Explorer drove up, Bishop said, an argument started. The males got out of the Explorer and fought the youths. Steward was shot twice.

The two males took off in the Explorer. They were last seen heading north on Fairground Street.

Witnesses described one of the suspects as a light-skinned black male. He is more than six feet tall and with medium-length dreadlocks or braids. He was wearing a white T-shirt. The other suspect is a dark-skinned black male, six feet tall with short hair. He was wearing a black T-shirt.

Police have not determined a motive for the shooting.

David Faraca, a neighborhood resident, knew the teenager.

"I liked him," Faraca said. "I never saw him get into any trouble. He never did anything wrong. He just seemed like a decent kid."

Faraca often saw the teenager riding his bicycle in the neighborhood.

The last time Faraca saw Steward was during the NBA playoffs — the teen was rooting for the Celtics because he was a fan of Kevin Garnett. The teen watched the game with Faraca at a neighbor's house.

Tuesday night, Faraca heard two gunshots. When he looked out, he saw police and emergency personnel down the street.

"This happened on my street, and I'm really disgusted by it," Faraca, 32, said.

Marietta police are offering a $5,000 reward for anyone who has information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Chris Lindsey at 770-794-5369 or 770-605-9483.

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