In the spring of 2016, a conflict simmering between rival street gangs in Tulsa, Oklahoma, erupted in a burst of fatal violence that claimed the life of Daniel Watashe. The 37-year-old man was shot and killed on April 30, 2016. The events leading to his death were described by prosecutors as a deliberate 'stalking' by a member of a rival gang.
The man responsible for Watashe's death was identified as Eric Tyrone Bradford, a 42-year-old member of the Hoover Crips.
Witnesses testified that in the time leading up to the shooting, Bradford had confronted Watashe, who was a member of the Neighborhood Crips, regarding a relationship Watashe had with a woman. This personal dispute, layered on top of the existing gang animosity, proved to be a deadly combination.
Following an investigation, Eric Tyrone Bradford was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. A jury in Tulsa County convicted him of the crime. During the trial, prosecutors laid out the case that Bradford had hunted down his rival before fatally shooting him. The court sentenced Bradford to life in prison for the murder of Daniel Watashe. Despite an appeal, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the conviction and the life sentence, ensuring that the man who ended Watashe's life would remain behind bars.
