Community Corner

Vigil for Domestic Violence Victim to be Held on Thursday

Dejanirra "DJ" Elrod was killed by her boyfriend in 2012.

A candlelight vigil will be held at Canton's Cannon Park Thursday evening for a Cherokee County woman who was killed by her boyfriend last year.

On July 15, 2012, 19-year-old Dejanirra "DJ" Elrod was shot five times by her boyfriend Trevor Knuckles in the 370 block of Pea Ridge Road in Canton. Elrod died at Marietta's Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

Knuckles, who was 21 at the time of the murder, was arrested for Elrod's murder and is currently incarcerated at the Cherokee Adult Detention Center.

Thursday evening's vigil will be held not only to remember the life of Elrod, but to call for an end to domestic violence. 

According to the Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Annual Report, in 2012 Cherokee County recorded five deaths that were directly tied to domestic violence. This was the seventh-deadliest county in the state in regards to domestic violence last year. Georgia was the 10th-worst state in the numbers of women killed by men in single-victim homicides.

Elrod's family will lead the vigil, and will be joined by District Attorney Shannon Wallace and Executive Director Meg Rogers. The women are expected to make a call to action to end domestic violence in Cherokee County.

The vigil will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the gazebo in Cannon Park.


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