Michael J. Harris, age 31, was shot and killed on October 19, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. The killing took place during a year of rising homicides in the city that heavily affected neighborhoods on the South and West Sides.

At trial, eyewitnesses identified Harris as the shooter; those identifications were later challenged by the defense. The prosecution relied on the eyewitness accounts, and the case included disputes over jury instructions and other procedural matters. Appeals addressed the reliability of the identifications and trial conduct, but the appellate court ultimately upheld the conviction.