Devonte Nathaniel Tyler was a talented and determined 21-year-old man from Kansas City, Missouri, who was building a life for his young family. Born on September 19, 2003, Devonte was a gifted football player in high school who drew the attention of college scouts. He graduated in 2022 and started his own clothing brand, Damaged Takeover, to reflect his story of resilience. A Black man with a deep love for music and fashion, he was on an intentional spiritual journey.
His life took on new meaning with the birth of his daughter, SiYanni, in 2023, and he became a devoted father. At the time of his death, he was working for the United States Postal Service, proud to have a stable job to support his family.
In the early hours of May 16, 2025, Devonte’s life was cut short. He was at an apartment at 6002 NE Bircain Place in Gladstone, visiting a woman he had met through a dating app. Around 2:15 a.m., police were dispatched to the residence after receiving reports of a disturbance and gunshots. When officers arrived, they heard yelling from inside the apartment. The occupants said they could not open the door because someone was blocking it.
After pushing the door open, officers found Devonte Nathaniel Tyler lying unconscious just inside the entry, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police identified the man who shot him as Bobby Colding III, a 21-year-old resident of the apartment.
Colding, who had called 911 after the shooting, told investigators that a fight had broken out between himself, another resident, and Devonte. He admitted to grabbing his handgun during the confrontation and shooting Devonte once, claiming he had acted in self-defense. However, a detective noted in charging documents that Devonte was unarmed at the time of the altercation.
Bobby Colding was taken into custody and charged in Clay County Circuit Court with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. A plea of not guilty was initially entered on his behalf, and his bond was set at $500,000. The case was resolved when Colding later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to serve 13 years in prison.
