On the evening of May 31, 2022, a sense of celebration was in the air in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin neighborhood as friends and family gathered for a graduation party. Among those out to share in the joy was Camiona Funches, a 19-year-old Black/African American woman. Funches, an honor student, and her friends had planned a surprise visit to the party located on Long Island Drive in the Meaux Park area.
Their arrival, however, was met with a sudden and brutal act of violence that would cut her promising life short.
As the car carrying Funches and her friends pulled up to the house, a barrage of gunfire erupted without warning. In the chaos that ensued, Funches was fatally wounded, and an 18-year-old woman with her was injured. The surprise they had intended for their friends turned into a scene of tragedy. Investigators later determined that at least 24 bullets had been fired at the vehicle. The suspects allegedly deemed the car's presence to be suspicious and responded with deadly force.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of three teenagers: 17-year-old Rashaun Seaberry, 18-year-old Omarion McNealy, and 17-year-old Daylin Bridges. All three were charged in connection with the homicide of Camiona Funches. It was revealed that Seaberry allegedly fired at least 16 of the rounds. The case drew significant community outrage and scrutiny of the justice system when it came to light that Seaberry had been released on a $30,000 signature bond just weeks prior to the shooting. He was already facing a homicide charge from a separate incident in 2021. This revelation prompted Funches's family and community members to call for reforms to the bail system, arguing that the tragedy could have been prevented. Rashaun Seaberry was ultimately sentenced to 52 years in prison for the two separate fatal shootings.
