Brandoniya Bennett, a 9-year-old African American girl from Dallas, Texas, was tragically killed on August 14, 2019. She was inside her townhouse at the Roseland Townhomes on Munger Avenue in Old East Dallas when she was struck by a stray bullet. Brandoniya had just gotten her nails done in anticipation of her first day of fourth grade and was walking back to the couch after getting a snack in the kitchen when the shots rang out. The bullet struck her in the head, killing her almost instantly. She was rushed to the Baylor University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The shooting was the result of a social media feud between amateur rapper Tyrese Simmons, 19, and a rival. Simmons, feeling insulted by something his rival had included in his lyrics, decided to confront him. On the day of the fatal shooting, Simmons and Davonte Benton, 22, were part of a group involved in a fight next door to Brandoniya's townhouse. After the fight broke up, Benton and Simmons ran around to the back of the townhouse and fired several gunshots into the wrong unit. One of those bullets struck Brandoniya.
Davonte Benton was arrested on September 5, 2019, on a capital murder charge. He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 45 years in prison by a Dallas County jury on November 15, 2022. Tyrese Simmons turned himself in the day after the shooting and was also charged with capital murder. However, his trial ended in a mistrial after two key state witnesses changed their testimony on the stand. Simmons eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter and to jumping bail while out on bond. He accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter.
Brandoniya's death led to calls for change by Dallas community members who demanded an end to gang violence. Her family continues to struggle with the loss, with her mother, Sontravia Elder, expressing deep grief during Benton's trial. The murder of Brandoniya Bennett remains a senseless and unimaginable tragedy, highlighting the devastating impact of gun violence on innocent lives.
