A young woman's life was tragically cut short on a Friday evening in Queens, New York, leaving a family heartbroken and a community searching for answers. Dashanna Donovan, a 21-year-old female, was fatally shot on September 12, 2025, in the East Elmhurst neighborhood where she resided. The vibrant young woman, who was born on the U.S. Virgin Island of St.
Thomas and was remembered by her mother for a smile that could brighten up a room, had a love for dancing and a knack for making people laugh.
The events of that night unfolded with chilling speed. After finishing her shift at a local McDonald's, Donovan was sitting outside her aunt's home on 96th Street, talking on the phone with a friend. In a sudden and terrifying turn of events, a man appeared, and Donovan was seen running into her apartment building in an apparent attempt to escape. The assailant, armed with a firearm, pursued her into the residence. Police responded to a 911 call about an assault in progress around 9:20 p.m. and discovered a grim scene. Donovan was found with a gunshot wound to her head and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services. Investigators found multiple shell casings and bullet holes riddling the walls of the apartment, indicating a violent struggle.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the New York Police Department launched an intensive investigation. Surveillance footage captured images of the suspect chasing Donovan. He was described as a man in his 20s, last seen wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black sneakers, and carrying a black bookbag. Initially, the relationship between Donovan and her killer was unclear, and the motive for the attack remained a mystery. Police released surveillance photos to the public in an appeal for help in identifying the gunman, who remained at large.
As the investigation progressed, a more targeted picture of the suspect began to emerge. By October 2025, law enforcement sources indicated that they believed the murder was an act of domestic violence, and suspicion fell upon an ex-boyfriend of Donovan's. It is believed that he may have followed her to Queens from South Carolina, where she had been living with her father for a year before moving back to New York just three months prior to her death, reportedly to escape an abusive relationship. Despite the strong suspicions and the circulation of the suspect's image, as of the latest available reports, no arrests have been made in the case, and the individual sought in connection with Dashanna Donovan's murder has not been publicly identified or apprehended. The investigation remains ongoing as police continue to seek justice for the young woman whose life was violently taken.
