In the late hours of an August evening in Owensboro, Kentucky, the life of 22-year-old Dawone Cortez Howard was tragically cut short. On August 14, 2024, an emergency call was placed to the Owensboro-Daviess County Central Dispatch at approximately 10:07 p.m., reporting a shooting at an apartment on Gateway Drive. Upon their arrival, sheriff's deputies discovered Howard unconscious in the living room, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Despite the immediate life-saving efforts of deputies and medical personnel, he was transported to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
The investigation that followed revealed a scene of reckless behavior that had turned fatal. Howard had been with two friends, identified as 21-year-old Cayden Maxwell Moorman and 20-year-old Dalton Kyle Pollard. According to the Daviess County Sheriff's Office, the three men were smoking marijuana and dangerously playing with handguns when one of the firearms discharged, striking Howard. Inside the apartment, investigators found multiple firearms, one of which was later identified as having been reported stolen. The incident, while not believed to be intentional, was described by authorities as a tragic consequence of reckless actions.
In the aftermath of the shooting, both of Howard's companions were taken into custody and interviewed by detectives. Their accounts of the evening's events led to their arrests and subsequent charges. Cayden Maxwell Moorman was charged with reckless homicide for his role in the fatal shooting. Dalton Kyle Pollard faced a charge of receiving stolen property in connection with the firearm found at the scene. Both men were booked into the Daviess County Detention Center.
Dawone Cortez Howard was remembered as a cherished son, grandson, brother, and fiancé. An alumnus of Davies County High School, he had been active in football and karate. His commitment to his community was evident through his past service as a volunteer firefighter with the Thruston Philpot Fire Department and as a former jailer at the Daviess County Detention Center, with aspirations of one day becoming a Kentucky State Police Officer. His generous spirit was further highlighted by his decision to be an organ donor, a choice that was honored with the Donor Medal of Honor. He was remembered for his love of the outdoors, his truck, and spending time with friends.
