In the early morning hours of Valentine's Day in 2017, just one day after his eighteenth birthday, Joshua Evans was shot and killed in the Taylor Berry neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. Police responded to reports of gunfire on Longfield Avenue near Lester Avenue shortly after 4 a.m. and discovered Joshua in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
His mother later recounted the heart-wrenching moments, stating that her son stumbled towards his father after being shot, saying, 'Dad, I think they got me,' before collapsing.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly, aided by a crucial piece of evidence left by Joshua himself. Less than an hour before he was killed, at 3:22 a.m., Joshua had made a Facebook post. In this final message, he mentioned having issues with two individuals, identifying them by the names Tristan Jewell and 'Tay.' His mother believes this social media post was instrumental in leading detectives to the suspects. She acknowledged her son's confrontational language in the post but expressed pride that it ultimately helped bring his alleged killers to justice.
Later that same day, Louisville Metro Police arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of Joshua Evans. Devonta Anderson, 23, and Tristan Jewell, 21, were taken into custody and charged with murder and wanton endangerment. According to police reports and witness statements, Anderson and Jewell had allegedly been waiting for Joshua. As he walked with another person, they opened fire. The second individual was not harmed, though a bullet reportedly grazed the sleeve of their sweatshirt. Witnesses identified Jewell, who was already on felony probation for a different violent offense, as the shooter. A year after the incident, Joshua's mother shared that Devonta Anderson had been released on probation and Tristan Jewell was charged with manslaughter, a resolution she felt did not bring true justice for her son's death.
