A promising Illinois teenager known for his success in the classroom and on the basketball court was shot and killed in what officials are calling a “sickening” case of mistaken identity.
Sixteen-year-old Davell Holden was standing outside his girlfriend’s home in South Holland, a suburb of Chicago, when he was gunned down while waiting for a DoorDash order he had just placed. According to Cook County prosecutors, three suspects pulled up to the house in a stolen vehicle and opened fire, killing the high school honor student.
Prosecutors say the suspects were Javan Moore, 21, Demon Smith, 20, and a 16-year-old male whose name has not been released due to his age. Authorities allege the trio believed Holden was someone else — a person who previously lived on the same street and closely resembled him. That individual was the actual intended target.
Moore, who is charged with first-degree murder, allegedly exited the vehicle and fired the fatal shots. Smith and the teenage suspect remained with him and are facing felony murder charges. Investigators say the group carried out the shooting in early August.
Police also revealed that evidence recovered from the teenage suspect’s phone included photos and text messages showing an attempt to sell the alleged murder weapon. The gun was later recovered during a search of the teen’s home.
“This is a case of mistaken identity,” village officials said in a statement. “Davell Holden was simply visiting his girlfriend, who lived on the same street as the intended target once did. Now, an innocent and promising young man is gone.”
Authorities believe the suspects are members of a local gang known as 9 Block and that the shooting was meant to target a rival gang member.
The arrests were announced at a press conference on Monday, where South Holland officials spoke emotionally about Holden’s life and impact on the community. Mayor Don De Graff described him as “an outstanding young man,” while Police Chief Shawn Staples said Holden was an honor student and a dedicated member of his high school basketball team.
“When this crime took place, it hit home for everyone,” Staples said. “Not just our residents, but our police department and our officers.”
Mayor De Graff called the killing “tragic and sickening,” adding that Holden was “an innocent victim,” a fact that has deeply shaken the community. Village Administrator J. Wynsma emphasized that South Holland is a community rooted in faith, family, and future, and said this kind of violence would not be tolerated.
Holden’s mother, Angela Birts, also spoke at the press conference, saying, “This is not the way my son deserved to die.” She previously told reporters that she remembers screaming and praying in the car as she rushed to the scene, begging for her son’s life.
All three suspects were ordered held without bond over the weekend and are expected to return to court on Tuesday.
Execute the Worthless Bastards, all three of them.
Time to get them out of society
And … they’ll be out of prison in no time at all. Unfortunately! These murderers need to be in prison for the rest of their lives. They took that young man’s life so they need to lose any chance of walking around free.