On a summer night in Providence, Rhode Island, the life of 22-year-old Devin Burney, a Black male, was tragically cut short. On July 1, 2017, as Burney and his friends were leaving the Noah Lounge on Corinth Street, he was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting. The incident left his family and community mourning the loss of a young man described as an amazing and athletic individual with a passion for sports, particularly basketball.
The investigation into Burney's death led Providence
Police to identify two suspects: John Minaya and John Nunez. In August 2017, 23-year-old John Minaya was apprehended as he was leaving a recording studio and charged with murder. Authorities stated that Minaya had previously skipped bail. He was subsequently held without bail.
Further developments in the case revealed a more complex situation. Although initially believed to be the gunman, DNA evidence later indicated that John Nunez was the one who pulled the trigger. In February 2019, Minaya, then 26, accepted a plea deal. He admitted to discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle and conspiring with John Nunez to commit felony assault. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped the murder and firearms charges against him.
In February 2020, John Minaya was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with nine years to serve and the remainder suspended with probation for his role in Devin Burney's death. During his sentencing, Minaya, a father himself, expressed remorse for his involvement and stated he was no longer interested in a gang lifestyle. He offered an apology to Burney's mother, Shawndell Burney-Speaks, who spoke in court about the profound loss of her son. As of early 2020, John Nunez, the alleged triggerman, remained under indictment with a warrant for his arrest but had not been apprehended.
