Davon Ellis, a 14-year-old honor student and standout football player at Oakland Technical High School, was tragically shot and killed on February 28, 2015, while walking with friends along Brookdale Avenue in East Oakland. The incident occurred around 7:50 p.m. when a man approached Davon and his friends, asking if they knew someone named Tim. Without any apparent provocation, the man opened fire, fatally wounding Davon.
Despite immediate efforts by police and paramedics to save him, Davon succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.
The community was deeply affected by Davon's death, with over a thousand people attending his funeral to mourn and celebrate his life. His father, Christopher Ellis, expressed profound grief and called for an end to the violence that claimed his son's life. The family and community members organized peace marches and established a foundation in Davon's memory to advocate for safer streets and to prevent similar tragedies.
The investigation into Davon's murder led to the arrest of Ronald Higgins, also known as Donald Higgins, a 28-year-old convicted felon from San Leandro. Higgins was charged with first-degree murder for Davon's death, as well as multiple counts of attempted murder for other incidents that occurred shortly after the shooting. On the night of Davon's murder, Higgins went on a shooting spree in Hayward, firing at a car and engaging in a shootout with police officers. He was eventually apprehended at a relative's house in Hayward.
In 2019, Higgins pleaded no contest to the first-degree murder of Davon Ellis and was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. The plea deal also included charges of willful, deliberate, and premeditated attempted murder and attempted murder of a peace officer. The sentencing brought some measure of justice to Davon's family, though the pain of their loss remains. The case highlighted the ongoing issue of gun violence in Oakland and the urgent need for community efforts to address and prevent such senseless acts.
