In the early morning hours of May 26, 2025, a tragic incident unfolded that would cut short the life of 25-year-old Rylee Shackelford, a resident of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. The young woman, a loving mother to her children, Langston and Blakelee, was fatally shot in an event that authorities would later describe as stemming from a domestic dispute. Her husband, 32-year-old Kyle David Shackelford, would soon find himself at the center of a criminal investigation, accused of causing his wife's
untimely death.
The evening leading up to the fatal shooting had reportedly been a tense one. The couple had been at a local casino where Kyle had been drinking heavily. The conflict escalated when they returned to their home just west of Pauls Valley. According to law enforcement, the dispute was ignited after Rylee received a phone call from a former boyfriend. This led to a heated argument that moved from their house into Kyle's truck. It was inside this vehicle that the fatal shot was fired.
Just before 3 a.m., Kyle Shackelford made a call to 911, reporting that he had accidentally shot his wife. He stated he was en route to get her medical help and agreed to meet an ambulance at a Walmart in Pauls Valley. When Garvin County sheriff's deputies and Pauls Valley police officers arrived at the location, they found Rylee unconscious in the passenger seat of the truck, which was being driven by her father. She had a single gunshot wound to her left side, under her armpit. Rylee was rushed to a trauma center in Oklahoma City, but tragically, she succumbed to her injuries.
In the subsequent investigation, Kyle Shackelford claimed the shooting was an accident. He told authorities that as he was moving a. 22 caliber pistol that he had placed on the truck's console, the weapon discharged, striking his wife. However, based on the evidence gathered and the circumstances surrounding the event, prosecutors filed a felony charge of first-degree manslaughter against him. The charge alleges that he caused Rylee's death while committing the misdemeanor of possessing a firearm while intoxicated. Following his arrest, Kyle Shackelford was released on a $100,000 bond after pleading not guilty.
