12-year-old boy shot, killed in Davenport

DAVENPORT — Orange balloons dotted the sky over the Mississippi River as family members and friends of Devell Johnson Jr. gathered Friday evening to remember his all-too-short life.

Devell, 12, was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in Davenport, while he was riding his bike with three friends in an alley between 13th and 14th Street at Marquette Street.

Witnesses said a Black SUV stopped at the alley around 3:30 p.m., and someone in the vehicle fired about eight shots toward the boys.

Devell was shot in the chest and died almost immediately, a witness said. Another boy was shot and taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released. Two others, including an 18-year-old man, were unharmed.

No arrests have been made.

De'an Humphrey, 18, of Hannibal, Mo., was arrested after a short foot chase near the scene of the shooting. He was charged with interfering with official acts with a weapon and carrying weapons, but he is not a person of interest in the shooting, Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski said Friday.

Billy Prunchak, whose family owns 5 Star Muffler on Marquette, said he heard the burst of gunfire while at the garage.

"From what I could hear, he (the shooter) emptied the clip as fast as he could pull the trigger," Prunchak said. "I called 911 and came outside."

He pointed to a spot just across the alley, saying he saw the boy lying there.

"I saw him take one breath," he said. "That was it."

The people who knew and loved Devell came together shortly after 5 p.m. Friday to release orange balloons — Devell's favorite color — and to share a moment of silence for the boy and those affected by his death.

Devell was a smart young man with many hobbies, his grandmother, Angela Lee, said Friday evening

"He loved to swim, he loved to dance, and most of all, he loved to play basketball," Lee said.

Veda Reaves, Lee's sister and Devell's great aunt, said Devell also loved video games.

"He always had a smile on his face,“ she said. ”Every time you'd see him, he was smiling.“