In Racine, Wisconsin, a promising future was cut short on the evening of October 17, 2020. Marcus D'Antonio Earl Caldwell, a 20-year-old Black/African American male known for his infectious smile and love of basketball, was fatally shot on Yout Street near Geneva Street. A former basketball standout at William Horlick High School and an alumnus of Bryant & Stratton College, Caldwell was not only a player but also a coach for a youth team, pouring his passion for the game back into his
community. Tragically, his life was taken just a day before he was set to leave for a new job opportunity in North Dakota.
The events leading to his death began with an altercation. Khalil Buckley, a 23-year-old from Missouri, was in Racine staying with the mother of Caldwell's son. An argument reportedly broke out between Buckley and the woman. When Caldwell apparently tried to intervene, the confrontation escalated, and he was shot. Racine police responded to the scene to find Caldwell with a fatal gunshot wound. The sudden violence left his family, including his mother Veronica McMorris and sister Marquajha Caldwell, and the wider community in a state of shock and mourning.
The investigation into Caldwell's homicide moved swiftly. On October 27, 2020, Khalil Buckley was arrested in Missouri in a joint effort by the Racine Police Department, U.S. Marshals, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. He was subsequently charged with first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and felony bail jumping. A search of the residence where the altercation occurred uncovered several pounds of marijuana, a gun case, and a receipt for a firearm purchase. The investigation also led to the arrest of a woman in St. Louis, Missouri, who was accused of providing the weapon used in the shooting.
