Family of man fatally shot at O’Fallon restaurant praises police, struggles with grief
The quick arrests of five people connected with the shooting of a man in the parking lot of a popular O’Fallon restaurant was welcomed news to the family of the victim, 20-year old Ivan D. Marshall.
But it does little to relieve their “devastating” grief, said DeAnda Marshall, who learned of her son’s untimely death at 2 a.m. on May 23 from the police officers standing on her doorstep.
She said she was sleeping when officers knocked at the door.
“My husband worked the third shift (so) he was at work. When they knocked on the door, my son answered the door,” Marshall said. “But I got up, too, to make sure he was OK. They told me there was no easy way to break the news that Ivan was gone.”
All she could do was scream — “It was kind of uncontrollable,” she said. She went back inside the house thinking she might pass out.
They then drove to where her husband, Malcolmn, works so they could deliver the tragic news in person.
“I got my daughter to drive me to his job. My daughter told him Ivan had been shot. I told him he was dead,” she recalled. “He is an alpha man — you don’t see him crying that often. He was really emotional, he felt helpless.”
O’Fallon police quickly called in the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis to assist with the investigation. Surveillance photos showed a tan-colored sedan with a missing hubcap, crossing the parking lot of Bella Milano Italian restaurant, 400 Regency Park Drive, where Marshall was found with gunshot wounds.
He was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No additional mention was made of the tan car, but the first arrest in the case was made within days of the fatal shooting.
As of Wednesday, five people have been charged in connection with Marshall’s death, all but one of which 18 years old or younger. Police say they targeted Marshall for robbery, but came up empty.
Those charged include:
Nautica Young, 18, of Cahokia Heights, first-degree murder, held on $1.5 million bond
Darrayvia Crump, 18, of Cahokia Heights, first-degree murder, held on $1.5 million bond
Nathan T. Smith, 17, of Collinsville, first-degree murder, held on $2 million bond
Nina Smith, 38, of Collinsville, obstructing justice, destroying evidence and aiding a fugitive, held on $90,000 bond
A male whose name and address has not been released, 17, being held at the St. Clair County Juvenile Detention Center on an unspecified charge.
DeAnda and Malcolmn Marshall, who have been married for 19 years, have two surviving children: Kaelin Marshall, 26, and Malcolmn Marshall II, 23. Ivan was the youngest. DeAnda said one of those charged was well known to her family, though she didn’t say which one.
“They destroyed us temporarily,” Marshall said of the five accused. “This is going to be hard for us. They took away a whole life from us. It was our baby boy, our last kid.
“We love our kids to death, literally. While they get to stay in jail, eat and use the bathroom, we have to worry about still having stress and anxiety because we lost somebody we love. On top of that, you set him up to rob him and you didn’t get anything.
“Some people get jealous when you are doing good and want to turn you into some kind of savage beast. (Ivan’s) life was going up. He was not a savage beast.”
Marshall described Ivan as the life of the party, an animal lover, a “sports fanatic,” and a hard worker who idolized his father.
“He and his dad would watch the games and boxing matches and talk about them,” Marshall said. “He was a real sports fanatic.”
Ivan also liked to cook. He had worked at Bella Milano since 2019, starting out as a dishwasher and working his way to sous chef, his mother said.
“He worked a whole lot, anywhere from 50 to 65 hours a week,” DeAnda Marshall said. “He saved his money to buy his first car. Before he was murdered he was saving money for him and his 23-year-old brother to have a two-bedroom apartment.”
“He was a lively, vivacious young man. He was a hard worker. He believed in earning money and working hard for what you have.”
Marshall said her family will grieve together and find their way back on their feet. In the meantime, she’s grateful for the efforts of investigators to bring swift justice to those responsible for her son’s death.
“They did what they did and it didn’t take a long time,” she said.
A GoFundMe page has been established to assist the family with funeral expenses. Bella Milano released a statement on its Facebook page the day after the shooting.
“There are no words to describe the pain we are feeling after the events of last night,” it said. “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of our Bella Milano family member Ivan. Our condolences and support are with his friends, family, and coworkers during this difficult time.”
This story was originally published June 4, 2022 at 7:30 AM.
