An Alabama mother desperately wants help finding her teenage son’s killer. D’Marcus Riggins, 17, and another person were shot late in the evening on August 8, 2025. Sylacauga Police Department officers responded to the Drew Court Community around 10:30 p.m., after receiving a call about shots fired. An unidentified victim received injuries that were not life-threatening, but D’Marcus Riggins died from his wounds. Now, police need the public’s help identifying a suspect.
According to a news release from the Sylacauga Police Department, officers arrived and began administering first aid to the victims. Medics took them to Coosa Valley Medical Center, where D’Marcus Riggins died.
“The Sylacauga Police Department’s Investigations Division, along with the Talladega County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, responded to the scene to process evidence and begin a thorough investigation into the shooting,” police noted in the release.
Tykeshia Riggins, D’Marcus Riggins’ mother, told ABC 33/40 she received a call no mother ever wants to receive. “A phone call I will always dread… it was one of his friends calling me… ‘Miss Keisha, get to the hospital,” she said.
Riggins said her son, a basketball player at BB Comer High School, was playing basketball with friends earlier that day and was heading home.
“The story is her was there to drop somebody off, they were walking to their car, walking to his car, and somebody started shooting,” Riggins shared.
Wendella McElroy told ABC 33/40 she heard the gunshots and ran for safety.
“I grab my grandchildren, we all went into the hallway. It didn’t last long at all. And then it felt like a matter of seconds I heard a car speeding off,” she recalled.
The loss of her son has broken Riggins’ heart. She feels lost without him.
“I’ll never see my firstborn again, the one that really made me a mother… the one that would always tell me… ‘We gonna be alright, Mom… I got you… that’s the most horrific feeling ever,” she told ABC 33/40. “I’ll never see my son again, and now I have to bury him. I would have never thought I would be here.”
The grieving mother wants gun violence to stop and hopes to prevent other familes from experiencing this type of pain.
“We need to figure out a way to not let them have ’em. Guns need to be taken off the street,” she explained to ABC 33/40.
Talladega County Schools released a statement following D’Marcus’ death. “The BB Comer High School family is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, senior D’marcus Riggins. This morning, students and staff members had the opportunity to gather at the flagpole for a time of prayer and remembrance. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the student’s family, friends, and all who are grieving this loss,” it reads in part.
The school district pledged to support students during this “difficult time of loss.”
Riggins created a GoFundMe account to aid with D’Marcus’ final expenses. She humbly asked for help. “No parent should ever have to bury their child. I am devastated, heartbroken, and still in shock. In the midst of this unbearable grief, I now face the overwhelming responsibility of planning my son’s funeral and honoring his memory the way he deserves,” she wrote on the page.
Police obtained surveillance footage from Drew Court but have not released it to protect the integrity of the investigation. Anyone with information should contact Investigations Sergeant Vinson at 256-391-4386, Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 1-833-251-7867, or 911 in case of an emergency.
“Our department is committed to seeking justice for the victims and their families, and we will work tirelessly to hold those responsible accountable,” Vinson shared in the department’s news release.
