20-year-old DeAndre Joshua is the first Ferguson riot casualty. The young man’s body was found slumped inside his vehicle, dead from a gunshot wound. According to a statement released by his family, relatives believe he was shot to death during the riots stemmed from news that a grand jury has elected not to pursue a case against Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown.
Joshua’s body was found a mere 20 yards from where Brown was shot back in August. According to those who knew him, Joshua worked at a local Walmart and was a good kid who stayed out of trouble and away from drugs.
One friend who was at the crime scene believes Joshua may have been shot during an attempted robbery just as he was getting inside his Pontiac Grand Prix. A woman, believed to be DeAndre’s mother, was seen pacing back and forth at the scene and can be heard saying “They killed my baby.”
A man who lives near the area also came forward to authorities and claimed to have seen four armed men outside his apartment not long after the news of the grand jury’s decision. According to his account, the armed gunmen were muttering something about committing looting and killing someone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnVSnNzA_ys
While DeAndre Joshua is the Ferguson riot’s first fatality, 14 others have also been hurt and treated at a local hospital. Police officers in riot gear have also reported hearing as many as 150 gunshots throughout the night as rioters took to the streets and set stores and cars on fire.
With the Ferguson riots already claiming DeAndre Joshua, the question remains whether the ensuing havoc will claim more lives in the days to come. While many who took to the streets have marched peacefully, there have also been those who were clearly looking to stir up trouble. Christopher Bucktin, an editor for the Daily Mirror, was at the scene when one rioter told him: “Leave now or you’ll be joining Mike – dead. If our bullets don’t get you, our bricks will.”
[photo credit: Stephen Melkisethian]