Hello,

On behalf of my sister Shamia, we are asking for help. On 8/26, Urbana Police committed a no-knock warrant on my sister's home and raided it. My nephews were just coming home from work and were woken up with snipers pointed at them. My nephews were arrested and taken into custody for suspicion of a homicide that occurred on 2/7/25. They were arrested along with 2 other suspects based on a tip call.

For years, my family has dealt with malicious people who reside in Urbana, IL, even when my sister has tried everything in her power to keep her children involved with church, basketball, school events, food drives, etc. As many of the Urbana residents know, there are a lot of youth and parents who have become a product of their environment and have brought that violence to Urbana. For years, my nephews have been attacked online, physically, and emotionally to a point where they stick in groups to stay safe in public. Many of my family’s rights have been violated during this event. It is traumatizing, belittling, and a major safety concern. Urbana police have even gone as far as to doxx my sister’s address in news articles.

Both of my nephews are sitting in jail based on a tip call, and we believe the call was from someone with malicious intent. They are facing first degree murder. No evidence was even presented. My sister is seeking legal help and a defense attorney to help my nephews get out. They are innocent. It is unfortunate for the young man to lose his life in February; however, this is not justice by locking up innocent people and letting the real perpetrators run free. My nephews paid tribute to him at their high school graduation back in May 2025 and were childhood friends of the victim.

Please, if anyone can help, please do. A dollar, 10 cents, even a share would go a long way to get this story across. Urbana deserves thorough investigations and ethical practices when it comes to events like these. Not hearsay.