In the late hours of a summer Friday, tragedy befell a Springfield, Massachusetts apartment building, forever altering the lives of one family. Eric Wilson, a 54-year-old Black male, was inside a residence on the 200 block of Orange Street on July 11, 2025, when violence erupted. Around 10:30 p.m., the sound of gunfire shattered the night, leaving two men wounded. First responders rushed to the scene and transported both victims to Baystate Medical Center.
While the second man's injuries were not life-threatening, Wilson was listed in serious condition.
For two days, Eric Wilson fought for his life, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, July 13, 2025. His passing marked another homicide in the city, prompting an investigation by the Springfield Police Homicide Unit and the Hampden District Attorney's Murder Unit. Investigators assured the public that they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the community as they began to piece together the events of that fatal night.
The investigation progressed swiftly, and within weeks, a suspect was in custody. On July 24, 2025, Springfield police arrested 32-year-old Sakawn Straw at a home on Revere Street. Authorities identified Straw as the suspected gunman in the double shooting. He was subsequently charged with murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and several firearms offenses, including carrying a loaded firearm without a license and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.
