A Loving Father’s Life Ended in a Split Second of Violence

On December 7, 2025, in Palmetto, Georgia, the community was rocked by a senseless tragedy when a beloved father, Dominique Goodman, was shot and killed in the parking lot of a local Bojangles restaurant. According to police, officers were dispatched around 1:15 p.m. to a “person-shot” call at the restaurant on Roosevelt Highway. When first responders arrived, they found Goodman dead in the parking lot. 
Family members say Goodman had come to check on his daughter, who works at that Bojangles, after she called home distraught over a confrontation with her shift manager. Instead of a conversation, what followed was an argument that escalated — ending with Goodman being shot multiple times. The horror of such a final encounter has left those who loved him reeling.

A Family’s Hope Turned to Grief — A Daughter Loses Her Protector

Goodman was not just a father — he was a protector, a parent who showed up when his child was in distress. According to his family, his daughter’s call for help was met with a tragedy no one could have foreseen. The accused shooter, identified as Maurice Nolan Evans, a shift manager at the restaurant, has since been arrested on charges including murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Friends and family are now grappling not just with grief, but with the painful reality that Goodman went to protect his child — only to never come home. A family friend described the loss this way: “She lost everything — her father. She will never get him back. The holiday season, once filled with warmth and laughter, is now overshadowed by heartbreak and disbelief.

A Community in Mourning — Demanding Answers and Justice

As word spread of the incident, shock rippled through Palmetto and beyond. People who knew Goodman remember him as kind, loving, and always willing to help. Others who didn’t know him personally felt a deep sadness — a reminder of how fragile life can be, and how quickly violence can steal a life away. The restaurant where the shooting occurred has been thrust into scrutiny. The parent company issued a brief statement expressing condolences and said it is cooperating with investigators. 
Authorities continue their investigation, and scrutiny is growing over how a disagreement at work escalated into a deadly confrontation. For Goodman’s daughter, family, and friends — and for the community at large — the hope now is for accountability, justice, and perhaps some measure of healing. As the investigation unfolds, many are lighting a candle in memory of a father who lost his life simply because he tried to stand up for his child.