In the early morning hours of June 25, 2023, a confrontation outside the Horseshoe Bar in Hays, Kansas, ended in the tragic death of 63-year-old Larry Braun, a White male from the area. The incident, which unfolded around 1:47 a.m. in the 1000 block of East Eighth Street, left Braun with a fatal gunshot wound to the neck. Emergency responders arrived to find him on the ground and immediately began providing medical care before he was transported to Hays Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
At the scene, police arrested 40-year-old Keith A. Ostrom of Hays in connection with the shooting. Initially taken into custody on a charge of second-degree murder, Ostrom's case would navigate through the legal system over the following months. The investigation into the shooting brought forth claims of self-defense, with Ostrom at one point telling authorities he believed Braun had a knife. However, the initial police report noted that Ostrom did not mention a knife at the scene. This detail, along with conflicting witness statements, complicated the narrative of the deadly encounter.
Ultimately, the case was presented to a grand jury, which returned an indictment against Ostrom for voluntary manslaughter, criminal discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, and endangerment. In a turn of events, Ostrom later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. In November 2023, a judge sentenced Keith Allen Ostrom to 32 months in prison for his role in the death of Larry Braun, bringing a close to the legal proceedings that followed the fatal shooting outside the Hays bar.
