In the quiet town of Dunbar, West Virginia, the life of Andre Davon Leonard, a 27-year-old Black male, was abruptly and violently cut short on the evening of August 15, 2018. He was in the driveway of his uncle's home in the 100 block of Elm Street when he suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The shooting, which occurred around 6 p.m., prompted a precautionary two-hour lockdown at the nearby West Virginia State University.
Initial reports from the West Virginia State Police indicated that
the individuals involved in the shooting knew each other, and they were speaking with a person of interest. The investigation soon focused on Juan Xavier Chic, the boyfriend of Breanna Hall, who was the mother of Andre Leonard's children. On that fateful day, Hall stated that Chic had driven her to Leonard's uncle's house to get money from Leonard for their children's back-to-school clothes.
Ultimately, Juan Xavier Chic was arrested and charged in connection with Andre Leonard's death. His trial concluded with a conviction for first-degree murder. For this crime, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of mercy. He also received concurrent sentences of ten years for the use or presentment of a firearm during the commission of a felony and three years for being a prohibited person in possession of a concealed firearm. Andre Leonard was laid to rest at Sunset Memorial Park following a funeral service at the First Baptist Church in Charleston.
