A jury convicted a Chicago man Thursday evening who fatally shot a baby’s father in Gary after the couple wouldn’t let him hold the child.
Ray Dampier, 44, pleaded not guilty and represented himself during a three-day trial. The jury deliberated for about an hour.
He was charged with murder in the May 10, 2022 shooting death of Devonte Brown, 29, outside on the 1700 block of West 5th Avenue in Gary.
Dampier dated Brown’s girlfriend’s sister.
Gary Police interviewed Brown 6:23 p.m. May 10, 2022 at Methodist Hospital in Gary. He told them Dampier shot him after Brown took his 6-week-old baby from him.
A hospital security guard reported Brown later died in surgery, the affidavit states.
Lashawn Ware testified this week that she and Brown arrived with their kids at her sister’s apartment. Her sister crossed the street to see her six-week-old baby for the first time.
Dampier saw the baby, then asked if he could hold the child. Ware refused. Brown left his car and walked over, took the baby from the sister’s arms and gave the child back to Ware, then went back to their car and put on music.
“He was minding his own business,” she said.
Dampier is mad now, her sister said.
At one point, Dampier “slapped” a gun on the hood, before a woman took it away and put it in her purse.
Dampier walked to the car and punched Brown in the head, Ware said. A fight broke out.
“I tried to break it up,” Ware said.
Dampier told Brown “you’re dead,” she said. He ran across the street to his car, found the gun inside the purse, pointed it at Brown and fired it 3-5 times, according to the affidavit.
Brown tried to block his face.
Brown fell and Dampier took off East on 5th Avenue in a white Mitsubishi Outlander, the affidavit states.
Dampier is appealing two separate contempt of court citations during the case. Each could add another six months in prison.
