In the early morning hours of October 15, 2023, the life of 23-year-old Jackson Jack Edward Danner, a White male, was tragically cut short in Topeka, Kansas. Police responded to a call in the 1600 block of Southwest 21st Street and discovered Danner in the front yard of his home, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. First responders pronounced him deceased at the scene.
His death marked the city's 31st homicide of the year, a grim milestone for Topeka.
Investigations into Danner's death revealed that a party may have taken place at his residence prior to the shooting. Evidence suggested that Danner was pushed from his home into the yard, where he was then fatally shot. Danner, a 2018 graduate of Holton High School, was remembered as a kind and good-natured soul with a heart of gold. At the time of his death, he was employed at Midwest Coating in Topeka.
The investigation led by the Topeka Police Department resulted in the identification of two suspects. In November 2023, 32-year-old Aaron Serrano was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Clay County, Missouri, on an outstanding warrant in a separate case and was subsequently extradited to Topeka to face a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Danner's death. He was booked into the Shawnee County Jail on a one-million-dollar bond.
A second suspect, 29-year-old Tremale Serrano of Topeka, was arrested in Kansas City, Kansas, in early December 2023. He was also transported back to Topeka to face a second-degree murder charge and was held on a one-million-dollar bond. In April 2025, a jury found Tremale Serrano guilty of first and second-degree murder in the shooting death of Jackson Danner. Subsequently, in June 2025, he was sentenced to approximately 54 years in prison for his role in the murder.
