The family of a Georgia State University graduate who was fatally shot over the weekend recalled the young man Monday as a joy to be around.
Ayokunle Lumpkin, 23, of Kennesaw was killed early Sunday morning as he tried to chase a hit-and-run driver who struck a friend's car, Atlanta police said.
"All of the stories we've heard [about what happened] have one common thread," Lumpkin's uncle, Tunde Onadipe, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He was trying to do the right thing.
"He was trying to intervene as a good citizen. Doing the right thing was his main [focus]."
Family was gathering Monday at the Marietta home of Lumpkin's parents as they awaited news of a possible arrest and the return of Lumpkin's father, whom Onapide said was away in Lagos, Nigeria.
Lumpkin graduated from Georgia State on December and was planning to go to pharmacy school, his uncle said.
His name translates from Yoruba to mean "joy is plentiful in this house," Onadipe said.
"It tells a lot about who he was," he said. "We thank God for the short time we had with him."
Atlanta police have recovered a vehicle being sought in connection with the shooting, which occurred after a confrontation in southeast Atlanta.
Police say Lumpkin was shot on Milton Avenue after he followed a vehicle that had struck a friend's car during a get-together in the Chosewood Park area. Lumpkin was taken to Grady Hospital and later pronounced dead, police said.
Atlanta police Sgt. Curtis Davenport told the AJC that witnesses gave investigators a description and tag number for the suspect's vehicle, and that vehicle was found abandoned later in the day on Sunday.
Lumpkin, a Sprayberry High School graduate, was a four-year player for the GSU soccer team and saw action in 70 matches. He finished his career with 10 goals and three assists for 23 career points.
A candlelight vigil for Lumpkin was held Sunday night at an apartment complex on Jackson Street.
"Everyone in the Georgia State soccer family is devastated by this tragic loss. Our hearts go out to Ayokunle's family," GSU men's soccer coach Brett Surrency said in a statement. "He was a wonderful teammate and friend with a great personality and a bright future. He always had a smile on his face, and everyone enjoyed being around him. He will be greatly missed."
In June, another former member of GSU men's soccer team was killed. Timothy Nixon, 21, died when he lost control of his car and crashed through the front of an Underground Atlanta ice cream parlor.
About the Author
