In the late hours of a Tuesday night in Waterloo, Iowa, the life of 29-year-old Taveros Dino Galloway, a Black / African American male, was cut short by a sudden act of violence. On February 10, 2009, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Galloway was driving his GMC Yukon in the 500 block of Courtland Street when gunfire erupted. The sport utility vehicle continued to travel for about two more blocks before it came to a stop on a sidewalk in front of a home on Lane Street.
Residents in the area reported hearing between six and eight gunshots, prompting them to contact the police. An autopsy conducted by the State Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that Galloway's death was the result of a single gunshot wound to the head.
Family and friends were left bewildered by the killing, remembering Galloway as a man who was always joking and not known to be a troublemaker. He was a father to four young children and had spent the evening having dinner with his aunt just hours before he was killed. Those who knew him struggled to understand why anyone would target him. In the wake of his death, the community gathered for a candlelight vigil to remember Galloway and to make a plea for an end to the violence that had claimed his life.
The investigation into Taveros Galloway's murder has yet to lead to an arrest for the shooting itself, and the case remains unsolved. However, the investigation did result in legal consequences for one individual. Erik Devon Shavers of Waterloo was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison in April 2011 for making false statements to the police regarding the investigation. Authorities suspected that Shavers was driving a car shortly after the shooting from which a passenger discarded a firearm. During the investigation, Shavers claimed under oath that he couldn't see what his passenger was doing because he had been sprayed with mace. He eventually entered an Alford plea to a perjury charge, acknowledging that there was enough evidence to likely convict him at trial without admitting guilt. Despite this conviction for hampering the investigation, no one has been charged with the murder of Taveros Galloway.
