On April 8, 2018, 18-year-old African American woman Nasjay Murry was fatally shot during an off-campus party in Peoria, Illinois. A freshman biomedical science pre-med major at Bradley University, Murry had recently graduated with honors from King College Prep High School in Chicago and aspired to become a doctor. The shooting occurred around 1:45 a.m. at a residence on West Bradley Avenue, where Murry and 22-year-old Anthony Polnitz were pronounced dead at the scene.
Another Bradley student sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
Three days after the incident, 16-year-old Jermontay Brock was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Authorities alleged that Brock, affiliated with the Peoria street gang known as the Bomb Squad, targeted Polnitz due to his association with a rival gang. Murry, an African American female student, was considered an unintended victim. Brock was charged as an adult and later convicted, receiving a 60-year prison sentence with eligibility for parole after 20 years.
Further investigations revealed that the firearm used in the shooting was supplied to Brock by fellow Bomb Squad member Kentrevion Watkins. This led to a broader federal indictment unsealed in June 2018, charging 15 alleged Bomb Squad members with racketeering conspiracy under the RICO Act. The indictment detailed various violent crimes committed by the gang, including the murders of Murry and Polnitz, and encompassed charges such as drug trafficking, assault with a dangerous weapon, and possession of firearms by felons.
The tragic death of Nasjay Murry, an 18-year-old African American woman with a promising future, underscored the pervasive issue of gang-related violence and its impact on innocent lives. Her family and community mourned the loss of a dedicated student and aspiring physician, highlighting the profound consequences of such senseless acts.
