In the summer of 2015, a promising young man's life was cut short in Gary, Indiana, leaving a family and community in mourning. Ray Antwon Lewis, a 24-year-old Black male known affectionately as 'Ray-Ray,' was fatally shot on the evening of Monday, August 10, 2015. The incident that led to his untimely death unfolded in the Miller section of the city, forever altering the lives of those who knew and loved him.
Born in Gary, Ray was a graduate of Merrillville High School and had pursued
higher education on a basketball scholarship at Lamar State College in Texas, where he earned an Associate of Arts degree. He had continued his business studies at Talladega College in Alabama. At the time of his death, he was working at Menards and a construction company owned by his father. His family remembered him as a loving son, brother, and friend with a bright future ahead of him.
The investigation into his death led to the identification of a suspect. Deaundra L. Davis, a 23-year-old from Gary, was subsequently charged with murder in connection with the shooting. The circumstances that led to the fatal encounter between Davis and Lewis were not made immediately clear in initial reports. The community was left to grapple with the senseless violence that had claimed another young life.
Following the investigation, the legal process began to bring closure to Ray Lewis's loved ones. Deaundra L. Davis was arrested and faced the judicial system for his alleged role in the shooting. The case proceeded through the courts, culminating in a jury trial in Lake Superior Court. In May 2017, after hearing the evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defense, the jury found Deaundra L. Davis guilty of the murder of Ray Antwon Lewis. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for his crime, a measure of justice for a life taken too soon.
