USPS said counseling will be offered after the death at its Palmetto regional distribution center.
PALMETTO, GA — A U.S. Postal Service employee died June 3 at the agency’s regional mail processing center in Palmetto, a metro Atlanta facility that has faced years of complaints over delays, safety concerns and management problems.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner identified the worker as 45-year-old Demarcus Dejuan Little Sr. USPS confirmed he worked at the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center, also called the Palmetto Regional Distribution Center. Officials have not released the cause or manner of death, and USPS said it does not publicly comment on personnel matters because of privacy concerns.
USPS said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a postal family member on June 3” and that its thoughts were with Little’s family, friends and coworkers. The agency said it would provide counseling services to employees at the Palmetto facility. Local reports identified Little as a father of three. No public report has said whether his death was linked to his work, a medical emergency or another cause.
The death adds pressure on a facility that opened in February 2024 as a key part of the Postal Service’s network overhaul. The one million square foot center was designed to combine mail processing from several sites in the Atlanta region. USPS approved more than $254 million to build out and launch the center, with expected savings of $2.6 billion over 30 years. Instead, the site quickly became a focus of complaints from customers, workers, businesses and elected officials.
Local news reports have said at least four workers have died at the facility since it opened. The earlier cases included Sharon Barnes, 48, who collapsed during a night shift in August 2024 and later died. Her family said coworkers had trouble calling 911 from inside the building because of poor cell service. Her son, Quenious Holmes, said the family was left searching for answers. “It hurts. I feel broken,” Holmes said at the time.
Workers and families have raised concerns about emergency communication inside the large building, including reports that employees could not make calls or send texts from some areas. USPS has not publicly detailed any link between those concerns and Little’s death. The agency also has not said whether any outside workplace safety review is underway in connection with the June 3 death. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s findings are expected to determine the official cause and manner.
The Palmetto center has also drawn scrutiny for mail delays. In March 2024, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff asked then-Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for answers about missing and delayed mail tied to the center. Ossoff said families, seniors and businesses were reporting stalled packages, including medicine and other important mail. The inquiry came as metro Atlanta customers told local outlets that some packages had gone untracked or delayed for weeks.
A 2025 audit by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General found that the facility had improved some service performance but remained below national averages and far below goals. Auditors said the center sometimes could not handle the amount of mail and trailers it received and was “one adverse event away from gridlock.” The audit also cited layout and space needs, management oversight, workplace culture and transportation problems.
The inspector general made eight recommendations tied to operations at the center. USPS management agreed with five and disagreed with three at first. Auditors said some corrective actions should resolve parts of the report, while other recommendations would continue through a formal audit resolution process. The report also identified more than $16.1 million in questioned costs, including costs tied to overtime and transportation schedules.
The facility has affected more than household mail. A Jonesboro feed store owner said in 2025 that hundreds of baby chicks arrived dead after shipments passed through the Palmetto center. The owner, Kathy Swint, said her family business had received live animals through the mail for decades before the center opened. USPS said at the time it was aware of limited breakdowns in processes for that type of shipment and was investigating the cause.
Union concerns have also followed the center. In March 2024, an American Postal Workers Union president told local television that he believed mail delays were tied to “the improper movement of employees and personnel.” Reporters later said they were still trying to reach union officials for more comment after Little’s death. USPS said it continues to prioritize the safety and well-being of plant employees.
Ossoff has kept pressure on the Postal Service since the Palmetto center opened. After the 2025 audit, he said the agency needed to fix basic management failures before spending billions on more regional distribution centers based on the same model. The Postal Service’s broader plan calls for a modernized network of regional processing and distribution centers as part of its 10-year Delivering for America strategy.
Little’s death remains under official review. USPS has not released further details about what happened inside the Palmetto facility on June 3, and local officials have not announced any charges or findings. The next public milestone is expected to come from the medical examiner or any agency that opens a workplace or internal review.
Author note: Last updated June 7, 2026.