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‘This stuff needs to stop,’ says woman who lost her brother to gun violence

Kalamazoo police are investigating two deadly shootings in two separate locations Wednesday evening
Posted at 7:32 PM, Jul 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-23 19:32:42-04

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Ciara Coleman said her brother Devante was her everything. He always doted on her four kids. And, he used to knock on her door in the morning and wake her up just to talk to her.

Coleman said it’s one of the things she’ll miss most about him.

According to Kalamazoo Public Safety he was shot and killed Wednesday evening during one of two shootings that happened an hour and half apart.

“It’s just not making no sense,” Coleman said. “This community is mourning the loss of two young men on the same day over nothing.”

KDPS said the first shooting happened on Woodbury Avenue near Ada Street around 6 p.m. They arrived on scene to find 29-year-old Dondreal Watkins, suffering from a gunshot wound.

He later died in the hospital.

Carmilla Johnson who lives in the neighborhood said the ‘killings have got to stop.’

“I got two police reports and four bullets in my house I don’t deserve,” Johnson said. “I’m asking for this to stop.”

Johnson said the shootings happen so frequently that it feels like she’s in the middle of a 'crossfire.' Every time she hears a ‘boom’ she gets on the floor.

“I’m tired of it. I’m tired,” Johnson reiterated. “I don’t deserve to have to be on my floor. I pay my rent like everybody else. You don’t live over here. Stay from over here.”

Three miles away across town another deadly shooting occurred on Cameron Street, police said. It happened around 7:30 p.m. When police arrived they found 28-year-old Devante Coleman, Ciara’s brother, suffering from a gunshot wound.

He died in the hospital. Ciara was devastated.

“This stuff needs to stop,” Coleman said. “I lost my brother, who’s not in the streets, who doesn’t do any of this, over a beef, over nothing.”

***KDPS is asking anyone with tips to please call them at (269) 488-8911 or the Silent Observer at (269) 343-2100.***