Fourteen-year-old Jaylee Nicole Chillson, a White/Caucasian female, died on September 17, 2023, in a tragic incident that unfolded at an outdoor party in Aurora, Kansas. Hailing from Clay Center, Kansas, where she was raised, Jaylee was the eldest of five children and the only daughter of her parents, Jeb and Stacie Chillson. She was known to enjoy outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, and camping, and was an avid softball player.
On the evening of Saturday, September 16, 2023,
Jaylee's parents reported her as a runaway. A deputy from the Cloud County Sheriff's Office located her at a field party attended by high school and college students near Aurora. The deputy was in the process of escorting Jaylee to his patrol vehicle to take her home when the situation took a devastating turn.
While being escorted, Jaylee pulled out a firearm and shot herself. The deputy did not draw his weapon. Despite life-saving measures attempted by the deputy and an off-duty firefighter who was also present, Jaylee was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after midnight. The incident was witnessed by the deputy and multiple other party attendees. Due to the deputy's presence during the shooting, the Cloud County Sheriff's Office requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation conduct the death investigation to ensure impartiality. The death was determined to be a suicide, and consequently, there were no arrests or suspects. In the wake of her death, Jaylee's mother, Stacie Chillson, publicly expressed her anger and grief, stating that her daughter had been the victim of bullying.
