Jim-Travis Gray was a 23-year-old Black man known in his community as a former star athlete. He had been a running back for Pahokee High School's state championship football team in 2016, bringing pride to his school and town through his athletic achievements.
On the afternoon of April 25, 2021, Gray was walking with his mother on the 200 block of Daniel Place in his hometown of Pahokee, Florida. According to reports, two men approached them and, without any verbal exchange, opened fire. Gray was fatally shot. His mother, who was with him at the time, miraculously escaped without physical injury.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigation revealed a history of conflict leading up to the shooting. Investigators learned that Gray had unresolved issues with several local men. Earlier on the day he was killed, one of the men had allegedly tried to hit Gray with his vehicle.
Gray had also reportedly been involved in a separate shooting incident at a local store, where he shot another man who survived but did not cooperate with the investigation. His death marked the 18th homicide in Palm Beach County for 2021 and the first in Pahokee.
The investigation led to the arrests of two suspects in connection with the murder. Authorities arrested Lanorris Lee, 33, and a second man, Anthony Bernard Evans, 38. Both men were charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Lee and Evans both pleaded not guilty to the charges. As of April 2021, they were being held without bail at the Palm Beach County Jail while awaiting trial.
