Dontavis Moore

In the early hours of June 26, 2024, a burst of gunfire on Flint’s north side claimed the lives of two young cousins. Police responded to a shooting at a residence in the 1300 block of Banbury Place at approximately 1:20 a.m. Inside, they found two teenage victims. One was Dontavis Moore, a 13-year-old Black male. He was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced deceased from his injuries. The second victim, 15-year-old Dominique "Dom" Ward, was found to have died at the scene. Both boys attended New Standard Academy, where Dom played football. Their principal described the loss as unimaginable, stating that a promising future had been cut short.

The double homicide was part of a string of violence that shook the community. Investigators quickly announced that they believed the shooting on Banbury Place was related to another deadly shootout that had occurred just hours earlier in the nearby Beecher area. The Flint Police Chief later attributed the incidents to gang violence, heightening concerns and prompting an intensive investigation by the Flint Major Case Unit detectives.

Following a thorough investigation, police arrested Ryan Michael Davis in connection with the fatal shootings. Davis, who was 19 at the time of his arrest, was arraigned on a 17-count warrant. The charges were severe, including two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Dontavis Moore and Dominique Ward, three counts of assault with intent to murder, two counts of discharging a firearm in a building causing death, seven counts of felony firearm, gang membership felonies, using a computer to commit a crime, and carrying a concealed weapon.

The case concluded when Ryan Michael Davis accepted a plea deal. In August, he pleaded guilty to 14 of the charges against him, including two counts of first-degree murder. In exchange for his plea, charges of gang membership and using a computer to commit a crime were dismissed. Davis, then 21, was sentenced to serve a minimum of 30 years in prison. The sentence specified at least 28 years for the murder convictions and a consecutive two-year term for felony firearm charges. With the conviction and sentencing, the case is considered closed.