Family members of a retired Army Ranger and Purple Heart recipient are searching for answers in his 2023 shooting death.

Dimetri Leon Phillips, 30, was gunned down on Main Street in Graysville in November.

No arrests have been made, and his grieving relatives said they need to who killed him, and why.

“This is a man who fought for his country, came home, and got gunned down,’’ said his uncle, Rayburn Phillips. “It’s not right. It’s not right at all.”

The shooting happened about 6:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, while he was at a stop sign on Highway 78 and Main Street.

Dimetri was pronounced dead on the scene at 6:18 p.m.

Witnesses saw someone fire into his vehicle. The suspect or suspects then drove off at a high rate of speed on Interstate 22 toward Birmingham.

Graysville police Lt. Erick Burpo said the shooter was in a small, red sedan with a drive-off tag. The tag was yellow, white, and green.

“We have some good information already,’’ Burpo said. “We just need a little bit more information to pinpoint certain individuals and then we’ll be OK.”

A motive has not yet been confirmed.

“We’re working a couple of potential angles. We do know it was a targeted offense,’’ Burpo said. “Once we get that why, we think we can solve this case in no time.”

Dimetri served about four years as a U.S. Army Ranger and had been deployed to Syria. He retired from the military and received a Purple Heart.

“He was very nice, a mannerable young man,’’ his uncle said. “He always had a smile on his face.”

Dimetri left behind a toddler daughter.

That was his life,’’ Rayburn said. “It was all about his daughter. He loved his family.”

Dimetri had just started a new job as a truck driver and was excited about his future.

“That’s what he wanted to do, get on the road and drive for himself,’’ Rayburn said.

Laurie Hackney, one of Dimetri’s close friends, met him when she was a librarian at Miles College, and he was transitioning to life as a student. Her father had also been in combat, so a teacher introduced them.

“He was a person if you met him, you never planned for a life without him,’’ Hackney said. “You never considered a life he wouldn’t be part of.”

“He was a joy,’’ she said.

The killing has been a blow to those who loved Dimetria.

“If anyone out there has lost a loved one, you know how it is,’’ Rayburn said. “It’s been hard, especially on my sister. That was her only biological child.”

“She’s went through a lot of changes,’’ he said. “The family’s been through a lot of changes.”

Dimitri’s mother, Lenathalie Seamon, said she misses everything about him.

“How do you just shoot someone?,’’ she said. “His life was ripped right from under him. He didn’t even have a chance.”

“Anyone that knows anything, please call,’’ Seamon said. “I still don’t under why my son is not here anymore. Why would you take him?”

The family said they need answers and an arrest to be able to get closure.

“It’s just hard to know this happened, and the manner in which it happened, and no one’s being held accountable,’’ Rayburn said. “It’s something that we’re not going to forget. It’s something that we’re not going to let go.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Graysville police at 205-880-0911 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.