On a September evening in 2019, a tragic series of events unfolded in South Bend, Indiana, culminating in the death of 16-year-old Curtis Frazier Jr. The young man, a student and junior varsity football player at Riley High School, was fatally shot on September 6, 2019. An autopsy later confirmed that Frazier died from a gunshot wound to the chest, and his death was ruled a homicide.
The circumstances leading to Frazier's death were complex.
On the night of the incident, South Bend Police were called to the 1700 block of Calvert Street for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered both Frazier and 18-year-old Makyi Toliver with gunshot wounds. Frazier was unconscious and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Toliver, who was also injured, initially told police that he and Frazier had been the victims of a robbery by unknown assailants.
However, the investigation painted a different picture. Evidence recovered from Toliver's Facebook account suggested that he and Frazier had planned to rob another man of a handgun and assault him. The intended victim of this alleged plot told investigators that Frazier and Toliver had attacked him, and he had fled to a nearby house with its lights on. When Frazier and Toliver followed him to the residence, the man, fearing for his safety, drew his own weapon and shot them both multiple times.
In a turn of legal responsibility, Makyi Toliver, Frazier's alleged accomplice, was charged in connection with his death. In May 2020, Toliver was charged with murder and attempted robbery. The murder charge was based on the principle that his participation in the felony of attempted robbery led to his accomplice's death. After a trial, a jury convicted Toliver of felony murder and attempted robbery in July 2021. Subsequently, a St. Joseph County judge sentenced the 20-year-old to 45 years in prison for his role in the attempted robbery that resulted in the death of Curtis Frazier Jr.
