On August 31, 2023, 19-year-old Damar Antwon Dwayne Watts of Peoria was found dead inside a house in the 800 block of Helen Street after police arrived around 10:20 a.m. The Peoria County Coroner identified Watts, who was born July 11, 2004, a recent graduate of Manual High School. Friends and family called him Dooder and Don Dada. He had worked at McDonald’s and in maintenance at the Paradise Hotel and was described as close to his family, often attending gatherings and enjoying video games.

Watts’ death was recorded amid a surge of gun violence in the city; it was Peoria’s 19th homicide of 2023 and happened shortly after other shootings in nearby neighborhoods. Police leadership publicly expressed alarm at the rising violence and urged community cooperation to prevent further incidents.

If anyone knew Damar, his routines, or has information about the shooting on Helen Street, please come forward to assist the investigation.