Joshua Purcell was a 16-year-old Black male from Tallahassee, Florida, a Leon High School junior who played football and ran track. Friends, teachers, and mentors remembered him as a caring young man with a huge personality and an infectious smile that could light up any room. He was a proud member of the Omega Lamplighters, a youth leadership organization where his nickname was "Bobby Brown."
Joshua kept a written list of goals that included getting closer to God, reading his Bible, and putting his "best foot forward in all the sports I play."
On the evening of July 15, 2020, two of Joshua’s friends were involved in a physical altercation with an 18-year-old named Danquies Anderson. When Joshua learned of the fight, he became angry and sought what police called "immediate retribution." Accompanied by his two friends, Joshua began walking toward Anderson’s residence on Tuskegee Street. One of the friends carried a handgun in a backpack.
As the trio walked, Joshua started a live video on Instagram. In the 14-minute stream, he called out Anderson, stating that while his group had a gun, they only wanted to engage in a physical fight. The confrontation came to a head around 9 p.m. in the parking lot of the Bethel AME Church on West Orange Avenue. There, Danquies Anderson shot Joshua four times at close range, killing him. Joshua's phone fell from his hand, and the video continued to stream, capturing an image of the gray sky.
Tallahassee Police investigators interviewed witnesses and reviewed evidence from the scene, including the social media video that captured the moments leading up to the shooting and the gunfire itself. When questioned, Anderson initially claimed he had only fired warning shots but later changed his story when presented with evidence. On April 23, 2021, police arrested Anderson, then 19, and charged him with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a delinquent.
In late 2023, Danquies Anderson, then 21, accepted a plea deal and waived his right to a jury trial. During an emotional sentencing hearing, the court played the video of the shooting and heard victim impact statements from Joshua's family. "I was given one special gift in my life, and it was my grandson Joshua," his grandmother, Malinda Williams, stated. A judge sentenced Anderson to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of probation. The case was officially closed with the sentencing in December 2023.
