In the early hours of September 9, 2018, the life of 25-year-old Rashawn Harrington, a Black male, was tragically cut short in a violent shooting inside a White Castle restaurant on the west side of Detroit, Michigan. The incident, which unfolded just after midnight, also claimed the lives of two other young men, Trevaughn Anthony, 24, and DeShawn Gadson, 20.
The three men were inside the fast-food establishment when two masked gunmen approached on foot and opened fire into the building before fleeing the scene. Harrington and Anthony were pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the triple homicide led Detroit police to 29-year-old William Wilbourn-Little. It was revealed during the investigation that Wilbourn-Little had an ongoing feud with one of the victims, DeShawn Gadson. The girlfriend of Gadson, Mika Pittman, who was waiting in a car outside the restaurant at the time of the shooting, testified that she witnessed the event. She confirmed that Gadson and Wilbourn-Little knew each other and had a contentious relationship, providing a motive for the attack. Several handguns were recovered from inside the White Castle lobby area.
William Wilbourn-Little was arrested and subsequently charged with three counts of first-degree murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and felony firearm. In May 2019, a jury found him guilty on all counts. The emotional trial concluded with family members of the victims expressing their profound grief and loss. Wilbourn-Little was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders. While he maintained his innocence during the sentencing, the conviction brought a measure of justice to the families of Rashawn Harrington, Trevaughn Anthony, and DeShawn Gadson.
