Noah James Slinkard was remembered by his family as a free-spirited and funny young man with a big heart. At 24 years old, the Bloomington, Indiana, native had his whole life in front of him. His sister, Kathlyne Pach, described the family’s hearts as heavy with the unimaginable loss of their beloved brother.
On the evening of Thursday, October 8, 2026, Noah was sitting on the front porch of a residence in the 1000 block of North Illinois Street with another man.
At about 8:15 p.m., a man approached them on foot. A witness who was on the porch with Noah told police that the man pulled a handgun from his waistline, shot Noah in the head, and then turned and walked away. Multiple people called 911 to report the shooting. When Bloomington Police Department officers arrived, they found Noah lying near the front door of an apartment with a critical head wound. He was rushed to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:49 p.m.
While officers were responding to the scene, dispatchers received a call from a man who said he had just shot someone. Callers also reported seeing the suspect walking away from the area, heading east on West 13th Street. Just eight minutes after the shooting, at 8:23 p.m., police located and arrested 23-year-old Jaymon Trey Gilreath on West 13th Street. He was taken into custody without incident. While searching the path Gilreath took from the scene, investigators found a holstered handgun near a park bench in the 1300 block of West 13th Street, next to Crestmont Park. Authorities believe it was the weapon used in the shooting.
During the investigation, police spoke with several witnesses who said that Gilreath believed Noah was in a relationship with the mother of his child, who was Gilreath’s ex-girlfriend. In an interview with detectives, Gilreath stated he had a "gut feeling" she was cheating on him. He said he had plans to see her earlier that day, but she had not answered his calls or texts. While in a friend's car, he saw her truck parked near the Illinois Street residence and then saw Noah on the porch. Gilreath told police he got out of the car, telling his friends he was going to fight Noah and warning them, "If you hear a pop, go." He claimed he did not remember the shooting itself, only that he was walking away from the residence holding his gun when he realized what had happened. Surveillance camera footage from the area reportedly captured the shooting and showed Gilreath leaving the scene.
Jaymon Trey Gilreath was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation before being transported to the Monroe County Jail just after midnight on Friday. He was charged with murder. Court records show a bond review hearing was scheduled for October 27 and a pretrial conference for November 18, 2026. He was held without bond.
In the wake of the tragedy, Noah’s sister organized a GoFundMe campaign to help with memorial services and give him the proper tribute he deserved. She wrote, "This loss [is] incredibly difficult to comprehend." The fundraiser sought to honor Noah's generous spirit and his young life, cut short so unexpectedly. The case against Jaymon Gilreath was set to proceed through the Monroe County court system as of late 2026.
