In the spring of 2022, on March 30th, the life of 32-year-old Dwayne Lee Collins Jr., a Black / African American male, was cut short in a burst of gunfire in Madison, Wisconsin. The fatal shooting, which marked the city's first homicide of the year, unfolded in broad daylight just outside the Dane County Jail. Collins had just been released, and his mother was waiting in a nearby car to take him home when the tragic events transpired before her eyes.
The attack was described by
authorities as a pre-planned execution. As Collins stepped out of the jail, he was ambushed and shot multiple times. The assailants then fled the scene, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase through the city before their eventual capture. The brazen nature of the shooting, directly outside a law enforcement facility, sent shockwaves through the community. Family and friends, reeling from the sudden and violent loss, gathered for a vigil to remember a man they affectionately called "Duisey." They remembered him as a good-hearted individual who loved basketball, making music, and, most of all, his three young sons.
Two individuals were apprehended and faced justice for the murder of Dwayne Lee Collins Jr. The gunman was identified as 20-year-old Demone Cumins, who admitted to the shooting. The getaway driver was 26-year-old Aean Geln. During the sentencing, it was revealed that Geln was known to the Collins family, a betrayal that added another layer of pain for the grieving mother and relatives. The motive for the killing was believed to be connected to a violent rivalry between gangs in Madison and Chicago. Both Cumins and Geln were ultimately sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the murder. While the family expressed their profound grief and loss in court, they also spoke of the need for the cycle of retaliatory violence to end.
