On a Friday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa, the life of Aaron Michael McHenry, a 24-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically cut short. On November 7, 2014, what began as a plan to meet for a supposed marijuana transaction ended in a fatal ambush. McHenry had been in communication with an individual named Keith Collins, receiving calls and text messages from him starting around 3:45 p.m.
The initial arrangement was to meet at a local Oasis store, but the location was later changed to a driveway on Hickman Lane.
Lured to the new location under false pretenses by Collins and another man, Keyon Dashawn Harrison, McHenry arrived expecting a simple exchange. Instead, he was met with gunfire. One of the two suspects shot him, and he was struck in the head and torso by multiple. 45 caliber bullets fired from different angles. A witness in the area reported hearing the shots and saw a Black male in tan pants and a black hoodie fleeing the scene. This description was consistent with someone she had seen sitting on a retaining wall earlier. After witnessing the aftermath and seeing the suspect run, she promptly called 911. Security camera footage from nearby homes also captured a Black male running from the area.
In the wake of the shooting, an investigation led to the identification and arrest of two suspects: Keith Collins and Keyon Dashawn Harrison. Both individuals were charged with the murder of Aaron Michael McHenry. Keyon Dashawn Harrison, who was 17 years old at the time of the crime, was subsequently tried and found guilty of first-degree murder for his role in the killing that occurred during the commission of a forcible felony. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
