On a summer night in Burlington, Vermont, the life of 22-year-old Kayla Noonan, a Caucasian female, was tragically cut short. In the early morning hours of July 25, 2022, Mikal Dixon, 27, forcibly entered the apartment on North Winooski Avenue where Noonan was staying with a friend. Armed with an AR-15 rifle, Dixon first attempted to break down a door to the residence.
When that failed, he smashed a window to gain entry.
Once inside, Dixon shot and killed Noonan, who was a student at the University of Vermont. He also shot and critically injured Noonan's 22-year-old female roommate. After fatally wounding Noonan and injuring her friend, Dixon then turned the gun on himself, ending his own life in a murder-suicide. Police received calls about gunfire at the apartment at approximately 2:20 a.m. and arrived to find both Noonan and Dixon deceased from gunshot wounds.
The surviving victim was transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center in critical but stable condition with serious, life-altering injuries. Investigators believe that Dixon and Noonan had been in a relationship for several years. Dixon, who had previously attended the University of Vermont and Burlington High School, had a history of low-level offenses but nothing that would have prohibited him from legally purchasing the firearm. The incident was a contained event, and authorities assured the public that there was no ongoing danger.
