Scarlett K. Tucker, a 16-year-old White female from Burlington, Kentucky, was remembered by her family as a sweet, kind, and funny girl with a bright future. Her aunts described her as loving and full of life, a girl who "embodied the whole 'Scarlett' persona." A former cheerleader and gymnast, she had developed a passion for cosmetology and hoped to follow in her aunt's footsteps. Scarlett also loved to sing and once auditioned for "America's Got Talent."
More recently, she had found joy in roller-skating, spending her weekends at the local rink. Her death came just weeks after she lost her grandmother, who her family called her biggest cheerleader.
The night of her death began with a gathering of friends. On January 3, 2023, Scarlett was at a home on Silver Brook Drive with three other teenagers and an 18-year-old acquaintance, Demarkus Hedges. The group had spent time in Cincinnati and Covington before returning to the Burlington residence around 1:30 a.m. Inside a bedroom, Hedges and other teens were recklessly handling a handgun. According to court testimony from a detective, they were playing with the firearm, removing its magazine and pointing it at their friends' heads.
At approximately 2:18 a.m., Hedges pointed the gun at Scarlett and fired. Although they believed the weapon was unloaded, a bullet had remained in the chamber. The single shot struck Scarlett in the head. First responders arrived to find her in the bedroom with the fatal wound, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
After the shooting, Hedges fled the home, prompting a search by law enforcement. He turned himself in to the U.S. Marshals Service in Covington later that day. He was subsequently arrested and charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful transaction with a minor, and was held on a $1 million bond. Initial witness statements indicated that the shooting happened after Hedges demanded Scarlett pick up a dropped bag of marijuana and she refused. However, investigators later clarified in court that this was incorrect and the shooting was a result of the reckless handling of the firearm.
While Hedges' defense attorney argued the shooting was a tragic accident, the murder charge was pursued. In January 2024, Demarkus Hedges admitted his guilt and pleaded to charges in the shooting death of Scarlett Tucker. The following month, in February 2024, he was sentenced to prison for the fatal shooting.
