On an afternoon in August 2014, the bustling sound of clippers at the Krazy Kuts Barber Shop in East Providence, Rhode Island, was tragically silenced by a single gunshot. Yusef A'Vant, a 42-year-old Black/African American man and the owner of the barbershop, was shot and killed on August 13, 2014, while attending to a customer. The incident, which marked the first homicide in East Providence that year, was not a random act of violence; investigators quickly determined that A'Vant had been
specifically targeted. In the wake of the shooting, a witness described a man entering the shop with a silver revolver, ordering them to the floor before a brief struggle with A'Vant ensued, culminating in the fatal shot to his abdomen. The gunman then fled the scene. Despite being rushed to the hospital, A'Vant succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Yusef A'Vant's murder was a deliberate and multi-agency effort involving the East Providence Police, Providence Police, and the Rhode Island State Police. Nearly a year after the shooting, in July 2015, authorities arrested their first suspect, Thomas Mosely of Providence. The investigation continued to unfold, and in August 2016, a grand jury indicted both Mosely and a second suspect, Evan Watson, also of Providence. The indictment charged both men with murder, conspiracy, and firearm-related offenses. It was alleged that Watson drove Mosely to the barbershop where Mosely then confronted and shot A'Vant.
The legal proceedings brought a measure of justice for Yusef A'Vant's family and community. Evan Watson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and possession of a firearm without a license on October 18, 2016. In January 2024, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison for his role in the murder. Thomas Mosely was found guilty of second-degree murder and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence following a jury trial and, in February 2020, was sentenced to serve consecutive life sentences. The case saw a further development in August 2022, when a third man, Derek Winslow, was indicted on charges of murder and discharge of a firearm while in the commission of a crime of violence for his alleged role in A'Vant's death. Winslow pleaded not guilty and was held without bail.
