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Tyreke Evans Was The Driver In A Drive-By Shooting Fatality
In 2007, 19-year old Marcus Reason was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Pennsylvania. The shooter, Jamar Evans, who was 16-years old at the time, pleaded guilty and is serving a nine- to 20-year prison term after admitting he fired out the passenger-side door, killing Reason.
A horrible story, but what does this have to do with the NBA?
Well, Tyreke Evans was the driver of the car. Jamar Evans is Tyreke’s cousin. Police reports have said that Tyreke did not know his cousin had a gun, until seeing him slip it into his shirt after firing at Reason. Tyreke Evans was not charged in the incident, and cooperated with the police.
Testimony in the case indicated Tyreke Evans and his cousin Jamar had been watching a football game at a relative’s home, before drving off in a Ford Explorer driven by Tyreke Evans, heading to Evans’ house when the gunshot rang out.
After Jamar Evans was sentenced to prison, Reason’s family sued Tyreke Evans and the three other passengers of the car, seeking more than $50,000 in the wrongful-death suit filed in Delaware County.
The suit stated:
“Tyreke Evans’ conduct was outrageous and malicious, with an absolute disregard for the health, safety and welfare of Marcus Allen Reason.”
Peter W. Dicce, the victim family’s attorney, said that a number of decisions that day resulted in the death of Marcus Reason, including the direction Tyreke Evans chose to drive.
“The driver, who was Tyreke Evans, chose to stop the car, allowed his cousin to put the window down, and allowed a gun to be drawn. Anyone at some point in time could have said no.”
Tyreke and the other passengers of the car said that no one saw Jamar Evans pull the trigger, and that they were scared that it was them who were being shot. Dwyane Davis, who also was in the car said:
“Tyreke and I were scared. We were unsure if one of us was hit or going to get in trouble.”
Tyreke Evans went on to being drafted by the Sacramento Kings and won the rookie of the year award in one of the best rookies seasons in the past 30 years.
