In the quiet morning hours of November 26, 2021, in a residence on North 38th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the life of 19-year-old Dawan E. Turner, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. Gunshots shattered the peace, with multiple rounds fired into the home where Turner was staying. He was struck by the gunfire and succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
At the time of the incident, which occurred around 9:05 a.m., Turner was in an upstairs bedroom of the house he shared with his mother and grandmother.
Known affectionately as "Big Wan," Turner was a rising figure in the Milwaukee rap scene. His music had been gaining traction, with some of his videos amassing hundreds of thousands of views online. He was praised for his unique style and was considered by many to be a promising talent with a bright future ahead of him. Friends and family remembered him as a lovable and humble young man, a "big teddy bear" who loved to make people laugh and smile. His manager recalled his focus and willingness to listen and learn, qualities that were setting him on a path to success in the music industry.
The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating the shooting as a homicide. In the immediate aftermath, authorities announced that they were searching for a suspect or suspects involved in Turner's death, but no arrests have been publicly announced in connection with the case. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting is ongoing.
Prior to his death, in February 2020, a Dawan Turner was named among a group of individuals federally charged in connection with a joint law enforcement operation targeting a drug trafficking organization in Milwaukee. That investigation led to the seizure of significant quantities of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, firearms, and currency. It is not definitively confirmed if this was the same Dawan E. Turner.
