On a Sunday evening in Guthrie, Oklahoma, the life of 14-year-old Antwoine Watson Jr. was tragically cut short. On November 7, 2021, the young male sustained multiple gunshot wounds in a shooting that stemmed from an ongoing dispute with another teenager. In the immediate aftermath, a frantic attempt was made to save his life as another individual tried to rush him to a nearby hospital.
Their journey was cut short on a viaduct, where they managed to flag down a passing ambulance, but it was too late. Antwoine was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect: 15-year-old Dasan Clark. Investigators learned that there had been a persistent 'beef' between Clark and Antwoine for several months prior to the fatal encounter. The day before the shooting, Antwoine had allegedly told a witness he intended to meet Clark to fight him over a gun that Clark possessed. This mounting tension apparently culminated in the deadly shooting in the 1200 block of E. Grant Ave., where Antwoine was shot while sitting in a vehicle. Following the incident, witnesses reported seeing a Black male in a red shirt fleeing the scene and crossing into a wooded area.
In the days that followed, the investigation solidified, and Dasan Clark was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. Although Clark and a parent initially declined to be interviewed by police, he was later seen in the vicinity of the shooting. A two-day search of the area ultimately led to the recovery of a firearm. Clark was subsequently taken into custody and held without bond at a juvenile detention center.
The legal process concluded in December 2022, when Dasan Clark, then 16, received a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder of Antwoine Watson Jr. He had entered a blind plea of guilty to first-degree murder in October of that year, leaving his fate in the hands of the judge. Clark will be required to serve a minimum of 85% of 35 years before he is eligible for parole. During the sentencing, members of Antwoine's family, including his mother, were present. Sources from the courtroom reported that Clark offered an apology to the family for his actions.
