On the evening of September 20, 2015, Vaughan Chattman, a 34-year-old African American man, was found fatally shot inside an apartment at 1634 Taylor Avenue in Racine, Wisconsin. Officers arrived about 8:45 p.m. to a report of an unresponsive person; when they entered the unit they discovered Chattman with a fatal gunshot wound and the Racine Police Department treated the death as a homicide. The scene was processed into the night, Taylor Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets was temporarily closed, and a vehicle was towed from the area though police did not publicly confirm any connection to the shooting.

By September 21 police had publicly identified Chattman but had not released a motive, a confirmed weapon, or whether he had been specifically targeted. Investigators said they had received reports of suspicious people seen in the area before the shooting, but identities and roles of those individuals were not established. No arrest or prosecution has been identified in connection with the killing and the case remains listed among the department’s cold cases.

Chattman’s family described him as gentle, soft-spoken, patient, and kind; an online memorial shows relatives continuing to mark birthdays and holidays while seeking answers. Anyone with information about the events at the Taylor Avenue apartment or people seen nearby is asked to contact the Racine Police Investigative Division at 262-635-7756.