James Kelley, a 72-year-old African American man, was fatally shot on August 5, 2020, in Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred at Dunmore's Auto Sales, located at 7320 S. Stony Island Avenue, where Kelley had gone to collect an old gambling debt from Willie Dunmore, a 79-year-old man who had known Kelley for over 40 years. Kelley was driven to the dealership by a friend, who waited in the car while Kelley went inside.
Shortly after Kelley entered the dealership, Dunmore's son was seen
walking out, holding his abdomen as if he had a gun before placing something in a vehicle. Dunmore then approached Kelley's friend and stated, "I shot the motherf---, it's over now and he is dead on the floor." Dunmore called 911 to report the shooting but did not identify himself as the shooter or claim self-defense. Paramedics found Kelley on the floor with a gunshot wound to the back and transported him to a hospital for treatment. At the hospital, Kelley identified Dunmore as the shooter before succumbing to his injuries the following day.
Willie Dunmore was charged with first-degree murder and held without bail. During the bond hearing, prosecutors revealed that Kelley had repeatedly visited the dealership to collect on the gambling debt. Dunmore claimed that he and Kelley struggled over the gun, which went off accidentally, but the gun was never recovered. Dunmore's attorney argued that Kelley had been threatening Dunmore for years and that the shooting was a result of their ongoing disagreement. Despite these claims, Dunmore was held on a $200,000 bond and was expected to return to court for further proceedings.
