On a Memorial Day evening in Minneapolis, 14-year-old Alan Jermaine Davis, a Black male, was found fatally wounded in an alley. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later confirmed that he died from multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 29, 2023, in an alley in the 3700 block of Bryant Avenue North.
Responding officers found the teenager with several gunshot wounds, including one to the head, and immediately began administering CPR before he was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Family members describe Alan as a vibrant and talented eighth-grader who loved to run and play basketball. His mother remembered him as a blessing with a beautiful smile who loved education and life. However, his life was not without turmoil. Just three months before his death, his mother had removed him from his middle school due to persistent bullying from his peers. He had transitioned to online schooling but remained in contact with many of his former classmates. His family believes he was lured from his home on the day of the shooting by teenagers who posed as his friends in a Snapchat message.
The motive for the shooting appears to be rooted in rumors that Alan had acted as an informant against another boy in their community. According to text messages shared by his family, he was confronted by other teenagers about these allegations, which he denied. His family firmly believes he was not an informant and was wrongfully targeted. A neighbor reportedly witnessed Alan walking with two other males who shot him and then fled the scene. In the aftermath of his death, his family became aware of a rap video circulating on social media in which young people seemed to reference his killing.
As of the days following the shooting, no arrests had been made, and police had not officially released any suspect information. However, law enforcement radio dispatches at the time of the incident indicated they were searching for a juvenile Black male, approximately 15 years old, who was seen fleeing the area. He was described as wearing a black hoodie, black jeans, and a black skullcap. The family has pleaded for those responsible to come forward and has publicly grieved the violent loss of a promising young life, decrying the prevalence of gun violence among the city's youth.
