For much of her life, Latraysa Dayon Brown was the person family members knew they could call when they needed help. A loving and generous spirit, she would open her door to relatives needing a place to stay or spend hours braiding someone's hair and refuse to take any money for it. Her life's work was caring for others, a calling she pursued as a caregiver in nursing homes, adult foster care homes, and in private settings.
Her cousin, Centerria Manning, remembered her as a "beautiful soul" who would do anything for anybody. A neighbor, Kiambu Hampton, recalled her as consistently friendly, loving, caring, outgoing, and funny.
Latraysa, a 49-year-old mother of four, was also a fighter. Diagnosed with sickle cell anemia as a child, she was told she might not live past the age of 18. She defied that prognosis for nearly three decades, raising two sons in their 20s, an 18-year-old daughter, and an 11-year-old son. Her family said being a mother was central to her life. She was looking forward to celebrating her 50th birthday in January 2027. Her cousin recalled that her vibrant personality made it easy to forget her age, saying, "You would have thought that she was younger than she was."
The place where Latraysa should have been safest became the scene of her death in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 27, 2026. At approximately 4:13 a.m., officers from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) were dispatched to her home in the 100 block of Reed Street, near South Burdick Street, for a reported shooting. Inside, they found Latraysa suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Her children were in the home, asleep, at the time of the intrusion. First responders began life-saving measures before she was transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The investigation, led by the KDPS Criminal Investigations Division, quickly sought public assistance. Captain Danielle Guilds stated, “Latraysa was taken from her family in the place where she should have been safest—inside her own home, while her family slept. Someone knows who did this.” The case took a darker turn when investigators announced they believed a subsequent fatal shooting the following day was connected. On Monday, September 28, 18-year-old Amaure' Dora-Lee Lynniah Harris was shot and killed in what police described as a retaliatory act for Latraysa's murder.
Captain Guilds commented on the tragic development, stating, “Two mothers lost their lives because someone chose to respond to violence with more violence. Neither of these women were involved in the conflicts that led to their deaths, yet they were targeted in their own homes.” This connection spurred investigators, and on Wednesday, September 30, they made an arrest in Latraysa's case.
Following the arrest, police executed a search warrant at a home in the 1000 block of Douglas Avenue, just east of Mountain Home Cemetery. There, they recovered a firearm and other evidence related to the homicide. The suspect was identified as 18-year-old Cedric Martin Gunn. On October 2, 2026, Gunn was arraigned before Judge Kathleen P. Hemingway. He was formally charged with open murder, receiving and concealing a stolen weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle, and felony firearm. Bond was denied.
In the wake of the violence, Latraysa's family was left to process an unimaginable loss. "Sunday morning changed our lives and especially her children’s lives forever," her cousin said. The family considered starting a fundraiser to help support Latraysa's four children. They pleaded for anyone with information to come forward to ensure justice was served. As of October 2026, the case against Cedric Gunn was proceeding through the court system. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the KDPS Criminal Investigations Division at 269-337-8139 or Kalamazoo Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.
