In the spring of 2015, a violent encounter on the streets of Milwaukee would set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately lead to the death of 20-year-old Trevon L. Harris, a Black/African American male. On April 23, 2015, Harris was a passenger in a car near the intersection of Teutonia and Capitol Drive. Suddenly, a Subaru SUV pulled alongside, and at least three gunshots shattered the afternoon calm. Struck multiple times, Harris was rushed to St. Joseph Hospital.
The initial treatment was just the beginning of a long and arduous medical journey that would see him transferred to Children's Hospital and later to Froedtert Hospital. The bullets had inflicted catastrophic damage, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.
After months of hospitalization, Harris was discharged on June 25, 2015, returning to his mother's home a quadriplegic. His life had been irrevocably altered, his body a prison. In December of that year, there was a glimmer of hope as he was readmitted to Froedtert for the installation of a nerve stimulator. However, this hope was short-lived. The device malfunctioned on January 31, 2016, leading to his admission to St. Joseph's Hospital. Just a few days later, on February 2, 2016, Trevon Harris succumbed to his injuries. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy and determined his death was a homicide, resulting from complications of the gunshot wounds to his head and neck sustained nearly ten months prior.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to a suspect, 22-year-old David Harris. According to the criminal complaint, the motive for the shooting was believed to be retaliation. It was alleged that David Harris had been involved in a prior shootout that had resulted in his own younger sister being shot, and he was seeking revenge against Trevon. A witness identified David Harris as the person who fired the shots. He was subsequently charged with first-degree reckless homicide. The case proceeded to a jury trial, which commenced on March 20, 2017. However, despite the witness testimony, the jury found David Harris not guilty, and he was acquitted of the charge on March 23, 2017, leaving the death of Trevon Harris without a legal resolution.
