Dontiaunna Brown, an 18-year-old African American woman from Dayton, OH, tragically lost her life on December 16, 2017. She was shot in the neck early that morning in an apartment on Caliph Court. Responding officers found her suffering from the gunshot wound and pronounced her dead at the scene. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office later confirmed her cause of death as a gunshot wound to the neck.
Following the incident, Dayton police launched an investigation and initiated a
manhunt for a suspect believed to be involved in the shooting. The investigation led to a SWAT standoff at a home in the 1400 block of Tampa Avenue, where investigators thought the suspect had barricaded himself. Although four people were found inside the house, the suspect was not among them. However, one individual was arrested on unrelated charges.
In the days following Dontiaunna's death, police identified Anton Hurston Jr., a 19-year-old, as a person of interest in the case. Hurston was arrested on unrelated charges but remained a focal point of the investigation. Dayton police homicide detectives continued to work with prosecutors to determine potential charges related to Dontiaunna's murder.
Dontiaunna's friends and family have kept her memory alive by maintaining balloons and candles at her apartment, a testament to the impact she had on those around her. Her former teacher described her as full of life and an unforgettable spirit, deeply saddened by the abrupt end to her promising future.
The investigation into Dontiaunna Brown's death remains ongoing, with authorities continuing to seek justice for the young woman whose life was cut short far too soon.
