DaMonta Meals was 16 when he died on August 9, 2021, in Dayton, Ohio. The shooting happened around 11:15 p.m. in the 800 block of Westwood Avenue while DaMonta was in his mother’s vehicle with a 14-year-old. According to Dayton police, the teenagers reportedly found a gun in the glovebox; the gun discharged once, the 14-year-old fled and heard another shot, and officers later found DaMonta in the street. Homicide detectives were called and the investigation remains open.

Police have not identified suspects or announced any arrests. The cause of death has not been officially determined in the released account, and the weapon’s ownership status has not been confirmed. Authorities urged safe firearm storage and asked the community to come forward with any information that could help the investigation.

Did anyone in the Dayton area see or hear anything that night that might help investigators?