Mother wants justice for son killed opening wrong door at Clayton Co. gas station

Two years after a man was killed getting into the wrong car, the shooter was indicted on a murder charge.

On December 12th, 2022, Trayvon Dunnaville opened the wrong car door. It ended with four gunshots. On December 12, 2024, the man who pulled the trigger was indicted for murder and other charges.

“It hurts, it hurts to know he’s not here with me,” Trayvon’s mother, Tibitha, said.

Two years ago, Trayvon and his pregnant fiancée stopped at a Shell gas station off Old National Highway.

Security footage from that night shows Trayvon leaving the food mart part of the gas station and walking up to a similar-looking car just one row from his fiancée’s vehicle.

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Shortly after mistakenly opening the wrong door, Dericole Daniel allegedly shot Trayvon four times.

“Why, why did he have to shoot? Why did he have to shoot four times?” Tibitha said.

Police arrested Daniel that night, but it was not until last month that he was indicted for murder.

Channel 2 Action News asked why it took two years for an indictment, but the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office says they could not comment on a pending indictment.

Attorney Chris Timmons, a partner at Knowles Gallant Timmons says the delay could be because of two reasons.

First, because the case may have taken time to transfer from the solicitor general’s office. Second, because of the complex nature of the case.

“This is a tough case to prove based on the facts,” Timmons said.

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Timmons is a former prosecutor. He says the video likely does show an unjustified shooting, but there is a chance a jury could find that Dericole Daniel acted in self-defense.

Timmons said the case could hinge on whether a reasonable person would think Trayvon opening up the car door — could be seen as someone trying to cause substantial harm or kill him.

“You don’t look at it from the perspective of the victim, you look at it from the perspective of the defendant,” Timmons said.

However, Tibitha believes accidentally opening the wrong door should not have been a death sentence.

But for a mom — she says accidentally opening up the wrong door — shouldn’t have been a death sentence.

“I feel like I’m not going anywhere. I asked the lord not to take me until I get justice. Because it is not fair,” Tibitha said.

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