Police: Bystander killed in Anderson attack aimed at murder trial witness
ANDERSON — Anderson police believe a local woman who was shot to death was a bystander in an attempt to kill a witness in a previous murder case.
Police arrested Rashawn Darrius Samuels, 18, 1200 block of West Ninth Street, Wednesday in connection with the Feb. 2 shooting death of Dayla Swain, 26, in the 1500 block of South Madison Avenue.
Samuels is charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and reckless homicide.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Detective Brett Webb, it's believed that Samuels and several others were attempting to kill a witness in the murder trial of Donavan Harris.
He is charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of Jullian Craig, 15, on Nov. 24 during a drug deal.
Harris is also charged with dealing in narcotics, armed robbery and criminal confinement with a deadly weapon. He is scheduled to go on trial May 6 in Madison Circuit Court Division 1.
Samuels was identified as one of the shooters in the Feb. 2 incident, according to witness statements in the affidavit. Police said other shooters might have been involved in the incident. The investigation is ongoing.
According to court documents, Swain was speaking to a man in a Ford F150 pickup truck when gunfire struck the vehicle. The man told police that as the gunfire started, he fled the scene.
Video from the café reportedly shows Swain walking "with difficulty' and the truck running over her legs as it leaves the parking lot of the business.
After the incident, according to the documents, the Anderson Police Department received multiple tips that Samuels, also known as 'Lil' D,' was one of the shooters.
The court documents allege that Samuels is affiliated with 'Mickey Cobra Nation,' a 'criminal organization with ties originating in Chicago.' The documents state that Samuels' family are founding members of the organization.
The documents said there was a 'known dispute' between the Mickey Cobra Nation and the man who was reportedly driving the Ford F150.
Instead of killing the driver of the F150, a round struck Swain and killed her.
The documents said that the police department used location data to track Samuels from Centralia, Illinois, to Anderson before the shooting occurred. Police also referenced public Instagram stories that highlighted the conflict between the driver and Samuels.
Location data showed that Samuels traveled from Anderson to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after the shooting and was staying at a Milwaukee address.
Anderson police detectives, working with the Milwaukee Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, traveled this week to Wisconsin and arrested Samuels.
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