In Cumberland, Maryland, on a spring afternoon, the life of 20-year-old Travon Lee Morris was tragically cut short. On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Morris was shot multiple times in the vicinity of Memorial Avenue and First Street. Despite immediate aid from bystanders and the swift response of emergency services who transported him to a local hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
The shooting unfolded in the Jane Frazier Village housing complex, a place Morris had called home for several months.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect, Gavin Wayne Huckabay, who was also 20 years old at the time. Witnesses at the scene identified Huckabay, who had fled on foot. A search of the area involving Cumberland Police, Allegany County Sheriff's Deputies, Maryland State Troopers, and Natural Resource Police Officers led to Huckabay's apprehension a short time later near Wempe Drive. He was taken into custody without incident and subsequently charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Court documents later revealed that Morris and Huckabay were roommates and had been involved in an altercation inside their apartment just before the fatal shooting. The incident was a shock to the community and a deep loss for Morris's family. He was remembered as a free spirit who had a love for music and writing poems. He was a former employee at Patrick's Pub and was known for his love for his family, especially his sister, Kali, who was considered his best friend.
The legal process that followed the tragic event culminated on May 31, 2023. In the Circuit Court of Cumberland, Gavin Wayne Huckabay was sentenced for his role in Travon Morris's death. He received a 40-year prison sentence for second-degree murder, with all but 35 years suspended. Additionally, he was sentenced to a consecutive 20 years, with all but five years suspended, for the use of a firearm during a felony conviction. Upon his eventual release from prison, Huckabay will be subject to five years of probation.
