DeQuan Carter

Do you know who murdered 17 year old DeQuan Carter in 2012?
DeQuan Lee Carter, a happy and well-liked 17-year-old African-American student, was known for his ever-present smile. Despite the challenges of being deaf, he was described by his cousin, Princess Carter, as a good person who was always happy. DeQuan was a residential student at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delavan, about an hour away from his home in Milwaukee. During the school year, he lived on campus five days a week, where he was a member of the football team. The school was a place where he could escape the difficulties of inner-city life. Alex Slappy, the head of the school, remembered him as "one of those kids who was basically very happy."

The summer of 2012 brought DeQuan back to his family in Milwaukee. On the night of Tuesday, July 10, 2012, family and friends gathered for a party at a home in the 2700 block of N. 34th Street, near Center Street, on the city's north side. The celebration was for DeQuan’s father, who had just been released from prison. Shortly after midnight, in the early hours of Wednesday, July 11, the gathering was outside on the porch and in front of the home when an unidentified man approached.

According to witnesses, the man walked up from the side of the house and, without warning, opened fire on the crowd. "He just walked up and opened fire, out of nowhere," his cousin Princess, who was eight months pregnant and standing near DeQuan, later recalled. The sudden burst of violence sent chaos through the party. DeQuan was struck by the gunfire and died at the scene. Three of his cousins were also wounded in the shooting. One was left in critical condition, while the other two sustained injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The Milwaukee Police Department responded to the quadruple shooting and immediately launched a homicide investigation. In the aftermath, police noted that while the three injured victims had lengthy criminal records, DeQuan had no history of run-ins with the law. Investigators deployed deputies on foot and placed cameras in the area, searching for leads and the person responsible for the deadly attack. The family told reporters they had no idea who would commit such a violent act or why. "I believe it was out of hatred," Princess Carter said.

News of DeQuan's senseless death sent shockwaves through his school community. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers issued a statement expressing his condolences. “He was needlessly gunned down in Milwaukee while attending a party for his father," Evers said. "This didn’t have to happen, and it is a tragedy that this young man has left us too soon.” The school made counselors and support staff available for students and faculty struggling with the loss.

On the evening of July 11, DeQuan's grieving family and community members held an emotional vigil and an anti-violence rally in the neighborhood where he was killed. They called for a "community cease fire," pleading for an end to the violence that had taken the promising young man's life. His mother, Cherissa Davis, remembered him as a "very good child" and pleaded for the killer to come forward. "I just want him to turn himself in," she said. "My baby didn't have to go like this. He didn't deserve to go."

As of July 2012, DeQuan's murder was the 42nd homicide in Milwaukee that year. Despite the initial investigation and pleas from his family, no arrests have ever been made in connection with his killing. With no new leads developing over the years, the investigation has grown cold. The case remains an unsolved homicide with the Milwaukee Police Department. Anyone with information regarding the murder of DeQuan Carter is urged to contact the department at (414) 933-4444 or Milwaukee Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS.