Deon Lilly, 20, a Black/African American male from Lubbock, Texas, was shot during a crowded house party in the 5500 block of 76th Street just after midnight on September 28, 2025. Police had first been called around midnight for a noise complaint; about 40 minutes later, at approximately 12:44 a.m., the call changed to reports of gunfire. Officers arrived to find Deon Lilly, 20, with a gunshot wound in the street.
He was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. Two others were hurt amid the chaos: an 18-year-old woman, identified as Adysen Gardner, who arrived at the hospital by private vehicle with a gunshot wound, and a 16-year-old who was treated for lacerations. The gathering had been held at a short-term rental and drew hundreds of teenagers and young adults, according to early accounts from local outlets and police.
In the immediate aftermath, investigators from the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit began piecing together what happened as neighbors' posts captured the sounds of the shootout echoing through the southwest Lubbock neighborhood. Officials said patrol officers had been stretched thin with higher-priority calls when the initial noise complaint came in, a detail that surfaced as police reconstructed the timeline of the night. The incident remained an open homicide investigation, and authorities urged anyone with information to come forward.
Days later, court records showed an arrest connected to the scene: a 26-year-old man, Dukiaious Childress, was booked on a third-degree felony count of tampering with evidence after officers reported he interfered with items near the victim. Police emphasized that no homicide arrest had been made and detectives were still working to identify the shooter. A $5,000 reward was offered for tips leading to an arrest, with information directed to the Crime Line at 806-741-1000.
As the community processed the loss, memorial notices affirmed that Deon Lilly, 20, died on Sunday, September 28, 2025, in Lubbock. The narrative that emerged in public records and local reporting was of a night that escalated from loud music to panic in minutes, leaving Deon Lilly, 20, a Black/African American male, dead, two others injured, and an investigation still pressing for answers about who fired the shots and why.
