Ronnie Howard, a 57-year-old African American man, was fatally shot on December 27, 2019, in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. Howard was sitting in his vehicle in the 5200 block of West Crystal Street when he was struck by multiple gunshots, including one to the shoulder. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead less than an hour later; the autopsy ruled the death a homicide from multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigators say the killing grew out of a dispute over drug dealings. Prosecutors identified 27-year-old Montay Dobbins as the primary suspect, alleging Dobbins tried to sell drugs independently and that heated phone calls and texts occurred between the men that day. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Dobbins with a gun near an apartment building by the scene, witnesses identified him as the shooter, and cellphone records are said to corroborate the communications. Dobbins was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and held without bail.

Are there readers who remember activity around the 5200 block of West Crystal Street on December 27, 2019, or who have information about this case?