On the night of November 10, 2019, Darnell Woodard II, a 21-year-old Black / African American male, was fatally shot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The incident occurred at approximately 10:40 p.m. in the 2700 block of N. 44th St., near Center Street. Woodard was inside a vehicle with a 19-year-old companion when an assailant opened fire on them. While Woodard succumbed to his injuries, the other young man in the car sustained non-life-threatening wounds.
The violent death of Woodard was
particularly poignant as his mother, Camille Mays, is a prominent community activist in Milwaukee who has dedicated years to supporting families affected by violence and working to prevent such tragedies. Mays is a board member of Milwaukee Crime Stoppers and the founder of the Peace Garden Project MKE, an initiative that creates memorial gardens for victims of violence. In the wake of her son's death, the community that Mays had long supported rallied around her, holding vigils and calling for justice.
In the years following the shooting, there were significant developments in the investigation. It was revealed that Woodard had arranged to meet with two childhood friends for what turned into a robbery. During the encounter, he was shot and killed. Ultimately, the investigation led to the arrest of two suspects. One of the men was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison for his role in Woodard's murder. The other individual was also facing trial in connection with the crime.
