In the early morning hours of September 3, 2023, the life of 19-year-old Keylen Lynell Collins of Puyallup, Washington, was tragically cut short. Collins, a Black / African American male, was found deceased on a basketball court in the Lipoma Firs neighborhood on South Hill. The Pierce County Medical Examiner later confirmed that he died from multiple gunshot wounds in what was ruled a homicide. The incident unfolded around 3:21 a.m.
following reports of a late-night party that escalated into an argument and then gunfire. When deputies from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department arrived at the scene, they found Collins alone; the other partygoers had already fled.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to 18-year-old Antonio Hartman. A witness reported that Hartman had threatened to rob Collins and was seen firing a gun into the air before shooting him. The dispute was reportedly over marijuana in Collins's backpack. On September 18, 2023, deputies with the Special Investigations Unit spotted Hartman driving a stolen car with stolen license plates. A high-speed chase ensued, during which Hartman drove recklessly, passing school buses before crashing into two other vehicles. After his vehicle was stopped, Hartman was arrested. Investigators found two pistols in his car, one of which was fully loaded with an extended magazine.
Antonio Hartman was charged with the murder of Keylen Collins. He ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to the murder charge, Hartman also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of unlawful possession of a machine gun from a 2021 incident. The court sentenced him to more than 25 years in prison. During the sentencing, friends and family of Collins, including his father who wore a sweatshirt bearing his son's picture, were present in the courtroom. Fourteen victim-impact statements were submitted to the judge, painting a picture of a beloved young man with a bright future, whose life was senselessly taken. Collins's girlfriend, who was battling cancer at the time of his death, shared how he had been her source of strength and light during her chemotherapy treatments.
