On a warm summer evening in Racine, Wisconsin, 20-year-old Dashaun Jordan, a Black male, was enjoying a fish fry with his friends. The date was August 6, 2017, and the group was walking down an alley near 16th Street and Phillips Avenue when their lives were irrevocably shattered. A sudden barrage of gunfire erupted from assailants in a passing vehicle, sending the friends scattering in terror. In the confusion, they all ran for cover, believing Dashaun had managed to escape with them.
It was only after the chaos subsided that the horrifying truth was discovered: Dashaun had been struck by the gunfire and was found in the alley with a fatal gunshot wound to his head.
The immediate aftermath was one of shock and grief as Dashaun's friends and family learned he had not escaped the sudden violence. Another person in his group was hit in the elbow and grazed by a bullet in the stomach but survived. The initial belief that Dashaun had also run to safety made his death all the more painful for those who were with him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the victim of what would soon be described as a tragic case of mistaken identity. Authorities later confirmed that Dashaun was not a member of any gang; he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, his life cut short by a violent feud he had no part in.
The Racine Police Department's investigation moved swiftly. Surveillance video from the area captured a white Chevrolet Impala fleeing the scene. Investigators recognized the vehicle as one frequently operated by 17-year-old Rytrell Earl, a known member of the Northside for Life gang. Police located the car and found Earl at a residence he often visited. A search of his phone uncovered messages where he sought to acquire 9mm ammunition just before the shooting, and shell casings matching that caliber were found at the scene.
Subsequent arrests brought two other individuals into custody in connection with Dashaun's murder: 22-year-old Jonathan Bell, identified as a member of the Vice Lords gang, and 16-year-old Alonte Person. During questioning, investigators learned the suspects had been driving through the neighborhood, which they considered rival gang territory, looking for members of the "Dirty P" gang. Rytrell Earl admitted to police that he and his associates saw Dashaun's group and, believing one of them was armed, they opened fire. Earl was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and multiple counts of attempted homicide. Jonathan Bell also faced charges related to the homicide, while Alonte Person was charged with felony bail jumping and possession of THC.
