Anderson PD: Woman killed in crossfire during hit attempt by crime organization

ANDERSON, Ind. — A targeted hit by a criminal organization from Chicago aimed at preventing a witness from testifying in a felony murder case in Madison County ended with an innocent woman being killed in the crossfire, police allege.

According to court documents, filed earlier this month, 18-year-old Rashawn Darrius Samuels was arrested in relation to a shooting at Sonny Ray’s Café in Anderson on Feb. 2. Samuels has been charged with:

• One count of murder
• One count of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony
• One count of conspiracy to commit murder, a Level 2 felony
• One count of reckless homicide, a Level 5 felony

According to previous reports, 26-year-old Dayla Swain was shot and killed during the incident at the café, located in the 1500 block of South Madison Avenue, in the early morning hours of Feb. 2.

Samuels was identified as one of the shooters in this incident, according to the documents. However, police said that there could be other shooters involved in this incident.

The court documents said that Swain was speaking to a man in a Ford F150 when gunfire began to strike the truck. The man told police that as the gunfire started, he fled the scene. Video from the café reportedly shows Swain “(walking) with difficulty” and the truck running over her legs as it leaves the parking lot of the business.

After the incident, the documents said that the Anderson Police Department received multiple tips that Samuels, also known as “Lil’ D,” was one of the shooters. Samuels reportedly had an active warrant for an armed robbery case in Kokomo.

The documents allege that Samuels is affiliated with the “Mickey Cobra Nation,” a “criminal organization with ties originating in Chicago.” The documents state that Samuels’ family are founding members of the organization.

The documents said there was a “known dispute” between the Mickey Cobra Nation and the man who was reportedly driving the Ford F150. Police allege that members of the organization were attempting to kill the driver to prevent him from testifying against Donovan Harris in an unrelated case.

According to previous reports, Harris was charged with murder in relation to the shooting death of Julian Craig after an attempted robbery in late November 2023.

Instead of killing the driver of the F150, Swain was struck by a round in the crossfire and killed.

The documents said that the police department used location data to track Samuels from Centralia, Illinois to Anderson before the shooting occurred. Police also referenced public Instagram stories that highlighted the conflict between the driver and Samuels.

Location data also showed Samuels travel from Anderson to Milwaukee, Wisconsin after the shooting. The documents allege that a tip stating that Samuels was staying in the 4700 block of N 49th Street in Milwaukee. Samuels was recently taken into custody “without incident,” according to the Anderson Police Department.