In the Russell neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, on the evening of Thursday, October 19, 2017, the life of 27-year-old Dominique L. Ellis-Denning was tragically cut short. The shooting occurred around 7:30 p.m. near the intersection of 28th Street and Elliott Avenue, a place where he was well-known and considered a member of the local park's family.
Louisville Metro Police Department officers were quickly dispatched to the scene, aided by the city's ShotSpotter gunshot detection
technology. Upon their arrival, they discovered Ellis-Denning in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to University Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries approximately thirty minutes later. Witnesses at the scene reported that the shooting followed an argument.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, police arrested 34-year-old Montrell Matthews at the scene. Matthews was reportedly still in possession of a gun when officers arrived. He was subsequently charged with murder in connection with Ellis-Denning's death. Witnesses identified Matthews as the shooter.
Dominique Ellis-Denning was remembered as a talented and outstanding basketball player who had for many years participated in Louisville's Dirt Bowl, a local summer basketball tournament. He had once won a one-on-one championship that took him to California. Those who knew him expressed deep sorrow over his death, highlighting the loss of a young man with his whole life ahead of him. He is survived by his parents, a daughter, and siblings.
