A Saturday afternoon in Danville, Illinois, turned tragic on May 2, 2026, when 22-year-old Ricky Dandridge Jr. was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Save-A-Lot grocery store. The incident, which stemmed from a physical altercation, also resulted in another person being injured. Police were called to the scene at 2 East Main Street around 5:00 p.m. following reports of a fight and gunfire. Upon arrival, they discovered two individuals with gunshot wounds.
Both were transported to a local hospital, where Dandridge was later pronounced dead.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the Danville Police Department launched an investigation and quickly identified a suspect. Twenty-three-year-old Dominick K. Cotton of Danville was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. He was subsequently charged with Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, and Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. The second individual who was shot during the altercation was reported to be in stable condition.
The weekend of Dandridge's death was marked by a series of unrelated shootings in Danville, prompting concern from city officials, including the mayor, who decried the violence. While an arrest was made swiftly in connection with the death of Ricky Dandridge Jr., the legal proceedings against Dominick K. Cotton are still pending, with no public record of a conviction or sentencing in this case. The investigation into the shooting continues as the community awaits justice for the young life that was lost.
