In the summer of 2014, the promising life of 20-year-old Dakarie McKinnie was cut short on the west side of Detroit, Michigan. A Black male, McKinnie was a former track standout at South Plains College with a bright future ahead of him. He had recently started a new job at a Chrysler plant and was concurrently taking classes to become a heating and cooling technician.
Further adding to his bright prospects, he and his girlfriend were expecting their first child.
On the evening of Friday, June 20, 2014, McKinnie was on his way to his girlfriend's house, located near the intersection of Wyoming Street and Pembroke Avenue. Tragically, he never reached his destination. He was shot multiple times and left to die in the street. The news of his violent death sent shockwaves through his community and among those who knew him as a hardworking and respectable young man.
In the wake of the shooting, McKinnie's family was gripped by fear, as the person or persons responsible for his death remained at large. His mother, LaVerne McKinnie, made a heartfelt plea to the Detroit City Council, expressing her fear for her family's safety and the constant harassment they were enduring. She spoke of the dark cloud that had settled over their lives since her son was gunned down.
Despite an ongoing investigation by the Detroit Police Department, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Dakarie McKinnie. The case remains unsolved, leaving his family and friends without a sense of justice or closure. Authorities have urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers. The lack of progress in the case has been a source of continued distress for a family still mourning the loss of a young man with so much potential.
