Dayla Chantel Swain was a 26-year-old mother of two and a Certified Nursing Assistant from Anderson, Indiana. A graduate of Anderson High School, she is described as a cherished family member who loved spending time with her children, siblings, and cousins.

In the pre-dawn hours of February 2, 2025, shooters opened fire in the parking lot outside Sonny Ray’s Café on South Madison Avenue. Dayla was standing beside a Ford F-150 speaking to a man who was the intended target when multiple assailants fired. She was struck in the chest by a stray round; the truck driver fled the scene and accidentally ran over her legs. First responders found her in the roadway and she was taken to a hospital in Indianapolis, where she died. Two other women were also wounded.

Investigators determined Dayla was an innocent bystander caught in a targeted ambush aimed at a witness in a separate murder trial. Authorities said members of the Mickey Cobra Nation gang conspired to travel to Anderson to kill the witness. Numerous people were arrested in connection with the conspiracy, including 18-year-old Rashawn Darrius Samuels, and teenagers charged as adults: 17-year-old Kyree M. Craver, 17-year-old Rejon Shamaud Smith, and 14-year-old Jo’Majze Larry.

Does anyone who knew Dayla or witnessed the shooting have information that could help clarify what happened that morning?