In the late hours of a January night in Pittsburgh, the industrial quiet of the Windgap area was broken by the sound of gunfire, leaving two men dead. One of the victims was Divine Barrett, a 24-year-old Black male who was originally from Paterson, New Jersey. On that cold night of January 20, 2016, he was discovered in the 400 block of Windgap Avenue, having been fatally shot.
When police arrived at the scene in the Windgap Industrial Park around 11:45 p.m., they found a grim tableau.
Mr. Barrett was located inside a vehicle, while the other victim, 29-year-old Dante Dawkins of Clairton, was found lying in the street. Both men had sustained at least one gunshot wound and were pronounced dead at the scene. The sudden violence of their deaths left an immediate and chilling impact on the community and launched a complex homicide investigation.
In the days that followed, authorities worked to piece together the events that led to the double homicide. Investigators publicly stated their belief that three individuals were involved in the shooting. Despite this lead, the identities of the suspects have remained elusive, and no arrests have been made in the case. The investigation into the deaths of Divine Barrett and Dante Dawkins remains open and ongoing. Authorities have continued to appeal to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough in the case, leaving the families of both victims waiting for justice.
