An aspiring hip-hop artist's life was cut short on the evening of February 5, 2019, in Omaha, Nebraska. Elijah Foster, an 18-year-old Black/African American male, was fatally shot near the intersection of 44th and Ellison around 5:30 p.m. When police officers arrived at the scene following a report of a shooting, they discovered Foster's body. The hail of bullets also struck a woman's home, shattering windows, and left a second victim, 20-year-old Erica Robinson, with gunshot wounds nearby.
Robinson was transported to a hospital for treatment of her injuries and was expected to recover.
Known as "2 DopeBoy E," Foster was part of a rap group called Dope Boy Gang and dreamed of a future in music. A photograph showed him in a recording studio, close to the microphone, pursuing his passion. His twin sister remembered his challenging upbringing but emphasized that he was doing the best he could with his life. He was also remembered as a loving uncle and a "natural leader."
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of two men on March 1, 2019. Omaha Police took 26-year-old James Sawyer and 27-year-old Adonus Moses into custody in connection with the murder of Elijah Foster and the assault on Erica Robinson. They faced a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, two counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony, and first-degree assault. The charges also included use of a firearm by a prohibited person and discharging a firearm from a vehicle, indicating the violent and reckless nature of the crime that ended a young man's life and endangered others in the community.
