DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The suspect accused of shooting three people at a DeKalb County gas station on Tuesday night was out of jail on bond in a 2020 murder case in which he was accused of causing the death of the mother of his one-month-old baby, court documents show.
Darius Morris, 34, was arrested and faces three charges of aggravated assault in Tuesday night's incident, which happened at a Circle K on Candler Road.
RELATED: VIDEO: 3 bystanders shot during shootout at busy DeKalb County gas station; suspect arrested
Police responded and found three victims with gunshot wounds and graze wounds ranging in severity. 11Alive obtained chaotic gas station surveillance footage from the scene that showed an explosive round of shots being fired at the front of the store.
A bond order, motion for bond and the indictment from the 2020 case collectively show that Morris was out of jail despite his previous charges in a violent crime.
The indictment alleges that on Oct. 15, 2020, Morris was accused of pointing a gun in another individual's face "which caused a gun fight" in which the victim was ultimately shot. Morris also faced two charges of aggravated assault in that case for allegedly shooting or shooting at two other men during the gun fight.
The motion for bond submitted roughly a month later identified the victim who died in the gun fight as Morris' girlfriend and the mother of his child. It argued that Morris had gone to a home to visit a "close childhood friend" who was "suffering from a mental health episode."
Morris' attorney argued he was acting in self-defense when the altercation that led to the shootout occurred, and that the gunshot that killed the girlfriend was fired by someone else.
An order granting Morris a $100,000 bond was submitted New Year's Eve of 2020. It stipulated he be on house arrest, "travel straight home after work is complete and remain on a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m." and "can only leave the house to visit his attorney... doctor's visits, work, church and school if necessary."
The DeKalb County District Attorney's Office opposed bond in the matter, the records show.
County court records still list the murder case as open. 11Alive has asked DeKalb County officials when he is next expected to be in court in both cases.
The DeKalb District Attorney's Office provided a statement to 11Alive on the recent developments concerning Morris:
Our office is aware of the new charges against Darius Maurice Morris in connection with a shooting at a DeKalb County gas station. Morris is a defendant in a previous shooting in our county in October 2020.
Despite our office’s objections, a DeKalb County Superior Court Judge granted Defendant Morris bond on December 31, 2020. As a condition of that bond, Defendant Morris was ordered to be under house arrest with a curfew of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
In light of these new allegations, our team has filed a motion to revoke Defendant Morris’ bond in that case. We hope the court will schedule a bond revocation hearing as soon as possible.
Mr. Morris’ case has been continued on several occasions because of scheduling conflicts with his defense attorney who is also representing a defendant in the ongoing YSL trial in Fulton County.
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