In the winter of 2014, a violent encounter on a Syracuse street left one man dead and another wounded. The evening of Tuesday, December 16th, was shattered by the sound of gunfire in the 100 block of Midland Avenue. When police arrived, they discovered two men who had been shot. Both were rushed to Upstate University Hospital for treatment.
One of the victims, a 30-year-old male from Utica named Donell Lamar Davis, tragically succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the
hospital. A second man, who was 31 years old, was also struck by the gunfire but was fortunate to survive. He was treated for a gunshot wound to his leg and was listed in stable condition.
In the immediate aftermath, the Syracuse Police Department launched an investigation into the shooting, treating it as a homicide. Detectives worked the scene on the city's South Side, piecing together the events that led to the deadly violence. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear as authorities began their search for those responsible.
Despite the ongoing investigation, information regarding any arrests or the identification of a suspect or suspects in the death of Donell Davis has not been made publicly available in the years following the incident. The case remains a painful memory for the community and a file within the police department that awaits a break that could bring closure to the family of the young man whose life was cut short that December night.
