In the early morning hours of September 18, 2018, a tragic series of events began to unfold in Springfield, Missouri, culminating in the death of 29-year-old Ryan Boulanger, a white male. At approximately 2:38 A.M., police responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting near the intersection of Cherry Street and Dysart Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found Boulanger with a gunshot wound. He was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by his girlfriend at the time of the incident.
Boulanger was rushed to a local hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The suspect in the shooting was identified as 52-year-old David Lynn Bryant. After shooting Boulanger, Bryant fled the scene in the vehicle they had been in. His violent spree did not end there. Shortly after, at 2:52 A.M., police were dispatched to the Fairvue Studios Apartments on Norton Road where another man had been shot in the chest. This victim sustained serious injuries but survived. Bryant was identified as the suspect in this second shooting as well.
Following the second shooting, Bryant retreated to a residence near Tampa Street and Chestnut Expressway, leading to a standoff with law enforcement. During the confrontation, Bryant exited the home and fired a handgun at officers. One officer returned fire, but no one was injured in the exchange. A woman who was being held in the home against her will was able to escape through a window during the negotiations. Bryant eventually exited the house with his hands up but then charged at officers in a threatening manner. He was subdued with less-lethal means and taken into custody.
In June 2022, David Bryant pleaded guilty to six felony charges, including second-degree murder for the death of Ryan Boulanger, first-degree assault, and sodomy. In October 2022, a Greene County judge sentenced Bryant to four consecutive life sentences for his actions on that violent September day. The charges for which he was sentenced encompassed the murder of Boulanger, the assault on the second shooting victim, and a sexual assault that occurred during the standoff.
