Dante Markeith Steele, an 18-year-old African American male, was tragically killed on January 4, 2013, in Jacksonville, Florida. Steele was meeting two men to purchase a gun when he was shot and robbed in the 5100 block of Birkenhead Road around 7 p.m. According to police reports, one of the men pulled a gun from his waistband and shot Steele before fleeing the scene. Steele managed to run around a corner but collapsed shortly after.
When found, his cell phone, money, bicycle, and other personal items were missing. The motives behind the crime were believed to be robbery and possibly drugs.
Two suspects, Markeith Kavaris Anglin, 19, and Marquis Antwan Bates, 18, were arrested and charged with the murder of Dante Markeith Steele. Anglin was apprehended after police received information about someone bragging about participating in the first homicide of the year in Jacksonville. Lab tests confirmed that a gun found with Anglin matched the weapon used in Steele's shooting. Anglin was initially charged with possession of a firearm by a felon on January 15, 2013. Bates was arrested on January 27, 2013, on a robbery warrant. Both suspects were also charged with armed robbery and other related counts and were held without bail.
The legal proceedings continued for over two years, culminating in Markeith Kavaris Anglin, then 21, pleading guilty to second-degree murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm by a felon. This plea resulted in Anglin receiving a 35-year prison sentence. The case highlighted the dangers associated with illegal firearm transactions and the tragic consequences that can arise from such activities. The community mourned the loss of Dante Markeith Steele, a young life cut short by senseless violence.
