Cedric Clark’s brother has never heard the name of the 16-year-old accused of killing his brother.
But Clark, 17, and his alleged killer were classmates at Charles Drew High School, Clayton County police said Wednesday. Police believe a confrontation that started at school escalated, ending with Clark being killed in a gang-related shooting.
“It’s so very tragic,” Chief Michael Register said Wednesday afternoon. “You have two young people here — one is dead and the other is responsible.”
Investigators believe Stanley Dixon shot and killed Clark on Nov. 2, and he has been charged with murder and aggravated assault. Late Wednesday, Dixon surrendered and was arrested.
Earlier in the day, Dixon was in the company of his father, Stanley Brooks, who is a convicted armed robber and drug dealer, Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill said. Dixon’s father brought him in to surrender, Hill said.
Clark, an 11th grader, loved sports and was a loyal friend to others, his brother told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“He was the one that talked sense into people,” Anthony Lewis, Clark’s brother, said the day after his death. “And he was only 17. When he said he was going to do something for you, he did it.”
Lewis believes his brother was an innocent victim and not the intended target. But investigators have another theory, Maj. Kevin Roberts said.
“All parties involved seem to have some gang affiliation,” Roberts said.
On the evening of Nov. 1, Clark left home with a friend, and the two said they were walking to a convenience store, Lewis said. It was the last time Clark’s family saw him alive.
That same friend returned to Clark’s home to see if he was there. There had been shots fired, the teenager said, and he and Clark had gone in different directions, according to Lewis. Shortly before 10 p.m., the friend took Lewis and his girlfriend to a home where he said he last saw Cedric.
Lewis searched hours for Clark, calling his name and looking for any sign that his brother had been there. Around 5 a.m., Lewis said he found his brother's lifeless body. Clark's hands appeared to have been holding his stomach and he wasn't wearing shoes, Lewis said.
On Wednesday, Clark’s family finalized plans for his funeral, which will be held Saturday at New Macedonia Baptist Church in Riverdale. Lewis said he is hopeful his brother’s killer will be brought to justice.
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