Shawnquez Edwards, 29, was shot and killed on November 25, 2018, during a triple shooting near Eighth Street and Broadway in Rockford, Illinois. He was pronounced dead at the scene; a second victim, Chiyara Nelson, later died at a hospital, and a third person survived but was left paralyzed.

Authorities arrested Quincy Wright and charged him with multiple counts of first-degree murder and weapons offenses. Those charges rested largely on a single witness who said Wright fired from a stationary position on the sidewalk. Investigators noted the scene’s physical evidence, including the distribution of shell casings, appeared more consistent with a drive-by shooting, creating a direct conflict with the witness account.

Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley later dismissed the murder charges against Wright, saying the available evidence was insufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt; Wright had spent more than two years jailed on the murder case and remained detained on separate unlawful-possession-by-a-felon charges. The dismissal strained relations with some family members, including Edwards’ father, who voiced loss of trust in the legal process.

Did anyone in the Rockford area witness the shooting or have information about the events that night?