On August 18, 2024, at about 4 a.m. officers in Rockford responded to reports of gunfire in the 4500 block of Governor’s Drive and found 26-year-old Martayvious Dequan Tay Evans with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead. Two other people were shot that morning — a 28-year-old man with wounds to his arm and hand, and a 35-year-old woman with a wound to her lower leg; both were treated and released.

The Rockford Police Violent Crime Unit identified 26-year-old Julian Patten as the primary suspect, and the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office authorized a first-degree murder charge; Patten was already in Winnebago County Jail on unrelated charges. Investigators say the probe is ongoing and additional charges may be filed. Evans was born January 6, 1998, in Rockford, graduated Auburn High School in 2016, worked as a forklift operator at the Wisconsin Cheese Factory, and was of the Muslim faith. Services were held August 28, 2024, at Soar Assembly in Rockford.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Rockford Police.