Robert Lee Trey Freeman was 19 when he was shot in Des Moines in the early morning hours of May 30, 2020. Officers responded just before 8:30 a.m. to the 1400 block of Dean Avenue after a report of gunfire and found Freeman lying on the ground with a gunshot injury. Emergency personnel performed CPR and transported him to MercyOne Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead shortly after 9:00 a.m.; his death was investigated as Des Moines’ 11th homicide of 2020.

Detectives recovered video and firearm-related evidence and identified a suspect. On June 6, 2020, 21-year-old Dayquawne Dashawn Gates of Des Moines was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm; he was booked into the Polk County Jail and held without bond. Freeman is survived by his children, parents, and a large extended family.

If anyone has information about what happened on Dean Avenue that morning, please share what you know.