In the early morning hours of September 29, 2018, a beloved Pop Warner football coach, Joseph Davis, a 42-year-old male, was working as a bouncer at Club Phoenix on Central Avenue in Albany, NY. A dispute occurred between Davis and 25-year-old Shaquille Owens, who was attending an event at the club. The confrontation tragically escalated, resulting in Owens shooting Davis multiple times.
Davis was rushed to Albany Medical Center in critical condition.
Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries on October 1, 2018. The shooting also resulted in injuries to two bystanders, a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man, who were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released. The death of Davis, known affectionately as 'Coach Seven,' marked the city's 13th homicide of the year and sent ripples of grief through the community, especially among the young athletes he mentored.
Shaquille Owens was apprehended by police shortly after the shooting. At the time of the incident, Owens was on parole for a prior weapon possession conviction. Initially charged with attempted murder, the charges were upgraded to second-degree murder following Davis's death. In January 2019, Owens pleaded guilty to the murder charge as part of a plea bargain. In March 2019, he was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, bringing a legal conclusion to a case that highlighted the devastating impact of gun violence on the Albany community.
