On January 4, 2022, Darryl Dean, a 62-year-old man from Dayton, OH, was tragically shot and killed in a gunfight that took place in the 600 block of Randolph Street. The incident began when Darryl Fitzgerald Cleary, 57, and Derek Edwards Shaw, 54, both of Dayton, were involved in a physical altercation with Marty Powers, 29, over a gun. Cleary claimed that Powers struck him in the face, leading to a struggle over the firearm. Cleary managed to get the gun and shot Powers as he was running away.
During the chaos, Dean was standing at the bottom of the stairs and attempted to leave the building. Shaw, who also lived in the apartment, came out and started shooting at Dean. Dean ran from his vehicle and was chased down by Shaw, who ultimately shot Dean in the back of the neck, killing him. Shaw was also accused of shooting and wounding another man inside the apartment before shooting Dean.
The Dayton police and medics were dispatched at 5 p.m. on a report of a shooting. The investigation revealed that the incident was a result of a disagreement about money and property that tragically escalated into gunfire. Both Cleary and Shaw were charged with murder in connection with Dean's death. Cleary was convicted of two counts of voluntary manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault, while Shaw was found guilty of murder and other charges. Shaw received a sentence of 26 to 27½ years to life in prison, while Cleary was sentenced to 9 to 12 years in prison with an additional three-year gun specification.
The case highlighted the devastating consequences of disputes escalating into violence and the importance of conflict resolution to prevent such tragic outcomes.
