In the winter of 2019, the life of 19-year-old Devontee Howai Cameron was tragically cut short on a street corner in his own Bushwick neighborhood. On the evening of Saturday, January 26th, just before 9 p.m., Cameron was near the intersection of Weirfield Street and Bushwick Avenue when he was approached by two men. The encounter, captured on surveillance footage, quickly turned fatal.
One of the men acted as a lookout while the other engaged with Cameron.
A struggle ensued, and a single, fatal gunshot was fired into Cameron's chest. The two assailants then fled the scene, leaving Cameron wounded on the pavement just a block from his home. Emergency services were called, and he was rushed to Wyckoff Hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead. Family and friends, shocked by the sudden violence, gathered for a vigil to remember a young man they said was not involved in gangs and would be deeply missed.
The New York Police Department quickly launched an investigation, releasing the surveillance footage to the public in an effort to identify the two men responsible. Their efforts led to arrests in the following months. In March, 21-year-old Dazon McMillan of Bushwick was taken into custody. Not long after, in April, 20-year-old Steven Alexander of Newark, New Jersey, was also apprehended. Both men faced charges of murder, attempted robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon for their roles in the death of Devontee Howai Cameron.
