In the late hours of a Tuesday night in Beaumont, Texas, the life of 17-year-old Kryst’shun Burkett was tragically cut short. On December 30, 2025, while visiting friends at the North Ridge Manor apartments, Burkett was fatally shot in the parking lot. The incident unfolded just before midnight, with multiple callers reporting gunshots to the Beaumont Police Department.
Those close to the aspiring rapper described him as a loving father to a 10-month-old daughter and a young man with a bright future who was on track to graduate high school early.
Following the shooting, an attempt was made to rush Burkett to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle. A white Kia with its hazard lights flashing was spotted by a police officer, but the vehicle sped away, eventually crashing into a patrol car not far from CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital. Inside the car, officers discovered Burkett in the back seat with a gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of two individuals who have both been charged with murder. Leon Goodman, 19, and a 16-year-old whose name has not been released due to his age, were taken into custody. A witness reported to investigators that they saw both suspects fire their weapons at Burkett before he collapsed. Goodman was reportedly on probation for injury to a child at the time of the shooting. His bond was set at $1.5 million.
In the wake of his death, family and friends gathered to remember Kryst’shun Burkett, releasing balloons in his honor at the same apartment complex where he lost his life. His grandmother shared that her grandson knew the suspects and considered them friends, expressing her belief that the shooting was not gang-related. The community mourned the loss of a young man they remembered as goofy, creative, and someone who could always light up a room.
