Federal investigators offer $250,000 reward after DeKalb County mail carrier Dequavious Graves is shot dead

Reward announcement follows fatal shooting during a delivery route in Decatur

Federal investigators have announced a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for killing a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in DeKalb County.

The victim, Dequavious Graves, 31, was shot and killed on February 12, 2026, just before 7 p.m. while delivering mail in the 2700 block of Oxford Drive in Decatur, near Flat Shoals Road. Authorities have said the suspect or suspects should be considered armed and dangerous. As of February 17, no motive had been released and no suspect description had been made public.

What is known about the investigation so far

The case is being handled by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the federal law-enforcement arm responsible for investigating crimes involving the U.S. Mail and Postal Service employees. Investigators have asked anyone with information to contact the Postal Inspection Service tip line at 877-876-2455. An official evidence-submission portal is also being used to collect potential video or other digital material relevant to the shooting.

Public details remain limited, including whether the mail carrier was targeted, whether the shooting was connected to attempted robbery or mail theft, and how many people may have been involved. Investigators have not publicly outlined the sequence of events beyond confirming that Graves was on duty and on his delivery route when he was shot.

Workplace support and community impact

Postal officials have said counseling services are being provided to employees connected to the Decatur-area office where Graves reported for duty. The killing has raised fresh concerns for postal workers whose routes require daily stops in neighborhoods across metro Atlanta, often while operating highly recognizable vehicles and following predictable schedules.

Why the reward amount is unusually high

The $250,000 figure reflects a broader federal strategy announced in recent years to increase reward amounts in serious cases involving violence against postal employees, aiming to generate tips and speed identifications when evidence is scarce. In this case, investigators have emphasized the need for community information, including any video that may have captured the area near Oxford Drive around the time of the shooting.

Anyone with information is urged to contact federal investigators; officials have warned the suspect or suspects should be treated as armed and dangerous.

• Victim: Dequavious Graves, 31
• Date and time: February 12, 2026, just before 7 p.m.
• Location: 2700 block of Oxford Drive, Decatur (DeKalb County)
• Tip line: 877-876-2455