On June 24, 2023, 19-year-old Dequan Davis was shot and killed during a gathering in the 3300 block of Sunnyside Avenue in Rockford, Illinois. The shooting occurred around 3:30 a.m. while a large crowd had assembled in the street. Davis was taken in a private vehicle to a local emergency department, where he was pronounced dead at 4:30 a.m. An autopsy on June 26 confirmed death from a gunshot wound.

Investigators recovered a firearm at the scene that was later linked to 22-year-old Rockford resident Tereontae Benford, who has a prior felony conviction. Police say that weapon was not directly connected to Davis’s murder. Benford has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon on parole; his parole prohibited firearm possession. He missed a scheduled status hearing and had previously failed to appear for a February 15 court date. The investigation into who fired the fatal shot is ongoing.

If anyone was at the gathering on Sunnyside Avenue or has information about the shooting, please contact the Rockford Police Department.