On the evening of June 2, 1996, 11-year-old Byron K. Phillips, an African American boy, was playing on a neighbor’s front porch in North Minneapolis with his cousin and a friend when he was struck by a bullet fired from a passing car. The shooting occurred at about 6:15 p.m. during a violent feud between two local gangs, Shorties Taking Over and the Bogus Boys; the vehicle was driven through STO territory while members of the Bogus Boys were reportedly looking for rivals. Byron was found behind shrubbery with a single gunshot wound to his abdomen and died at the scene after paramedics were unable to revive him.

Investigators struggled at first because witnesses offered few details and fear of gang retaliation limited cooperation. A billboard soliciting information eventually prompted someone with knowledge of the shooting to come forward. Nearly three years after the killing, testimony and other evidence led to the conviction of three members of the Bogus Boys, including Kawaskii Blanche and Montay Bernard, for their roles in the drive-by that killed Byron.