Tashawna Anderson, a 26-year-old Black woman and a mother, was at a birthday party with her sister at the 10pin Bowling Lounge in Chicago’s River North neighborhood on April 30, 2022. Her sister, LaShawn Anderson, then 31, later recalled the night turning from a celebration into a tragedy that she witnessed firsthand.
According to prosecutors, the incident began around 1:00 a.m. when Tashawna spotted a man named Jason McMahan at the bowling alley with his new girlfriend.
Tashawna called McMahan’s former girlfriend, who then came to the venue. Later, outside on the street, an argument broke out between McMahan’s ex-girlfriend and the couple. McMahan and his new girlfriend drove away but allegedly returned to the bowling alley. There, they were met by Tashawna, her sister, McMahan's ex-girlfriend, and a fourth woman. This fourth woman, who had a license to carry a concealed weapon, had retrieved a gun from her car and put it in her purse.
Prosecutors stated that when the woman with the gun in her purse tapped on the passenger-side window of McMahan’s car, he got out and punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground. As she fell, McMahan allegedly fired several shots. Tashawna was struck in the chest and her sister LaShawn was shot in the thigh. McMahan also reportedly fired at his ex-girlfriend, but she was not injured. He then got back into the car, which drove away from the scene.
Tashawna Anderson was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her sister LaShawn survived her injuries and later said that Tashawna’s last words were a message for her young daughter: “She told me to tell her daughter she loves her.”
The investigation was aided by surveillance footage that captured the shooting. According to prosecutors, McMahan’s girlfriend at the time later spoke with police in a conversation recorded by a body camera and led them to a .40-caliber pistol that matched shell casings found at the scene. Witnesses also identified McMahan as the shooter. On January 3, 2023, authorities arrested Jason McMahan, then 36.
McMahan was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated battery with a firearm. At a hearing, a judge denied him bail, citing what was described as "overwhelming evidence." His public defender argued that McMahan did not initiate the confrontation and that he may have a case for self-defense. In February 2023, Jason McMahan pleaded not guilty to the charges. As of that month, the case was proceeding through the court system.
