MaKayla “MK” Bryant, a 22-year-old Black woman from Chicago, Illinois, was a brilliant and accomplished graduate student at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Having already graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2020, she was pursuing a master's in community psychology. MaKayla was a vibrant presence on campus, known for her leadership as a former captain of the FAMU cheerleading team, a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and treasurer of
the Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society. Friends and family remembered her as a "bright light," a kind and powerful young woman who inspired many.
On the afternoon of January 26, 2022, MaKayla’s life was cut short. She was a passenger in a car driven by her partner, Precious Charlton, who had gone to the Providence Pointe apartment complex to sell marijuana. Just before 5 p.m., a man named Khalil Ogilvie approached the vehicle and attempted to rob them at gunpoint. A struggle over the gun broke out between Ogilvie and MaKayla, and the weapon discharged, striking her in the chest. Precious Charlton rushed her to a local hospital, but MaKayla died from her injuries.
The Tallahassee Police Department investigated the shooting and soon made two arrests. Khalil Ogilvie, then 26, was identified as the shooter and charged with first-degree felony murder. Precious Charlton was also arrested and charged with third-degree felony murder and possession of narcotics with intent to sell, based on her role in arranging the drug transaction that led to the fatal encounter.
In July 2022, prosecutors dropped the third-degree murder charge against Precious Charlton. The Assistant State Attorney explained that after reviewing case law, they determined that under the circumstances, Florida law did not allow for charging a drug seller who was acting independently of the buyer with murder. Charlton continued to face the felony drug charges. Khalil Ogilvie remained in the Leon County Detention Facility awaiting trial for MaKayla’s death.
In February 2024, Ogilvie’s case went to trial. A Leon County jury convicted him of a lesser charge in connection with MaKayla Bryant’s death. With this conviction, the case is considered legally resolved as of February 2024.
