Donnie Dior Gray Jr., a 15-year-old male, tragically lost his life on the evening of Thursday, March 16, 2023, following a shooting at the Prairie Apartments complex in South Bend, Indiana. Born on September 4, 2007, in South Bend, Donnie, also known as DJ, was a freshman in high school at the time of his death. He was known by loved ones as a kind-hearted and active teenager who enjoyed listening to music and playing basketball.
A former student of the South Bend Community School Corporation, he had moved out of state but was in South Bend when the incident occurred.
The shooting took place in the 2600 block of Prairie Avenue, and Donnie was pronounced dead at the scene. The circumstances that led to the shooting have not been made entirely clear in public reports. In the aftermath of the event, the South Bend Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit launched an investigation into the homicide. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed in Kalamazoo.
Shortly after the shooting, a juvenile male was taken into custody in connection with Donnie's death and was held at the Juvenile Justice Center. The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office filed a delinquency petition against the 16-year-old suspect, with charges including reckless homicide, which is a level 5 felony for an adult, and dangerous possession of a firearm, a misdemeanor. Prosecutors also filed a motion to have the teenager tried as an adult. Due to the suspect's age, his name was not publicly released by the authorities. The community mourned the loss of another young life, holding a prayer vigil to honor Donnie's memory and to call for an end to violence.
