In the summer of 2017, the life of 25-year-old Ashanti D'Onte Antwoine Walden was tragically cut short on the streets of East Chicago, Indiana. Known affectionately as 'Bubba' or 'Bundles,' he was a father to two young daughters, Nevaeh and Alayah, and was known for his passion for performing rap songs.
On the evening of June 23, 2017, a block party was underway when a simmering conflict reached its fatal conclusion.
Ashanti was engaged in a conversation with another individual, Jamell Patrick, on a sidewalk when he was confronted by Robert Stephone Currie. The two men had a history of animosity stemming from their affiliations with rival gangs; Currie was associated with the Villeblock faction of the Vice Lord gang, while Walden was a member of the YMH faction. Their feud had previously escalated to violence, with reports indicating that Walden had once robbed Currie at gunpoint and wounded him.
Fueled by this past altercation and ongoing gang animosity, Currie approached Walden and Patrick from behind and opened fire. Walden was struck in the left hip and the right side of his chest, injuries that proved to be fatal. Patrick was shot in the foot but survived the attack. The sudden eruption of violence brought the block party to a devastating halt and left a community in mourning.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an investigation was launched, leading to the arrest of Robert Currie. He was subsequently charged with murder and battery by means of a deadly weapon. The legal proceedings that followed culminated in a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter and one count of attempted obstruction of justice. During the sentencing, the court acknowledged Currie's assertion that he acted in a 'sudden heat' upon seeing Walden, which is what reduced the murder charge to voluntary manslaughter. Ultimately, Robert Stephone Currie was sentenced to serve twenty-four years in the Indiana Department of Correction for his role in the death of Ashanti Walden and the injury of Jamell Patrick.
