On February 23, 2026, Akwane Davron Shaquelle Stewart, a 23-year-old man, was tragically killed in a Minneapolis, Minnesota, home. He and his 14-year-old brother, Xavier Barnett, were fatally shot in what would become a devastating day of violence for their family. Stewart was known as a creative and thoughtful individual who was a painter.
The events unfolded inside a residence on the 4200 block of Irving Avenue North.
The victims' grandmother and four other children, ranging in age from seven to ten, were also present in the home at the time of the shooting but were not physically harmed. The suspected shooter was identified as the victims' 23-year-old cousin, Eddie Darren Duncan. In a harrowing turn of events, one of the victim's sisters arrived at the home to find her young niece and nephews hiding in a closet before discovering her two brothers on the floor.
The tragedy was compounded by the fact that Duncan had been released from the Hennepin County Jail just hours before the killings. He had been arrested on February 15 on charges of fleeing a police officer and possession of a machine gun. A bail of $35,000 was posted, allowing for his release. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office had reportedly noted Duncan as a public safety risk and had requested a higher bail amount. Family members expressed their belief that the deaths of Stewart and his brother were preventable, stating that the system and the suspect's family had failed them.
Following the double homicide, a manhunt for Duncan ensued. Later that same day, he was located by police in Brooklyn Center. An exchange of gunfire occurred outside an IHOP on the 5600 block of Xerxes Avenue North, and Duncan was fatally shot by officers. In the wake of the violence, loved ones gathered for a vigil to remember the two brothers, who were described as caring uncles and devoted students.
