Laderion Finley, a 31-year-old man, died after being shot in downtown Dallas in the early hours of September 27, 2025. Officers were first called around 2:28 a.m. on a report involving a stolen iPhone in Deep Ellum, where police contacted the parties but couldn't recover the phone. About an hour later, a large fight broke out and people returned to their cars; shortly after, shots were reported and Finley was found wounded and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to an arrest affidavit, witnesses said a white Kia, allegedly driven by 26-year-old Kent Butler, accelerated toward Finley as he was walking away. Finley moved, then ended up in front of the vehicle; the Kia swerved and hit him. As Finley fell and tried to flee, the driver got out and shot him multiple times before leaving. Dallas Fire-Rescue transported Finley, but he did not survive.
Dallas police later announced an arrest in the case. On September 28, Butler voluntarily went to Police Headquarters, agreed to speak with detectives, and admitted to shooting Finley; he also turned over the gun used. He was arrested and charged with murder. Police posts identified the scene as the 500 block of North Akard Street and noted the arrest on October 1.
Public records and memorial pages identified the victim as Laderion Jerome Finley, born July 31, 1994, in Dallas, confirming he was 31 at the time of his death. Community memorials recorded his loss to gun violence on September 27 in Dallas.
