In the summer of 2023, the life of a Black / African American teenager, 17-year-old Makhi Mazon, was cut tragically short. On the evening of July 31, shots rang out on Newport Drive in Waterbury, Connecticut. When police arrived, they found the young man suffering from gunshot wounds to his chest. He was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. For days, he fought for his life as his condition worsened, and he was eventually transferred to Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, where he succumbed
to his injuries on August 8, 2023.
The investigation into the shooting led Waterbury police to identify three suspects. In the days following Mazon's death, authorities moved swiftly. On August 10, they arrested 23-year-old James Davis of Bridgeport. Shortly after, 26-year-old Ronald Scott of Waterbury was also taken into custody. The third suspect, 24-year-old John Birdsall of Waterbury, was apprehended in Indiana and extradited back to Connecticut in December 2023 to face charges.
According to prosecutors, the three men were driving together on the night of the shooting, actively looking for people to target. They came across Makhi Mazon and another teenager. Believing the youths looked "suspicious" and might have been connected to a past grievance, one of the men in the car opened fire. The senseless act of violence has led to serious charges for the alleged perpetrators. Ronald Scott and John Birdsall face charges including murder, while James Davis is charged with conspiracy to commit murder, among other offenses. The cases against the three men are proceeding through the court system.
