In the summer of 2023, a domestic incident in Kennewick, Washington, turned fatal, ending the life of 25-year-old Brayden Klatt. On July 22, 2023, police responded to a call at a residence on North Huntington Street to find Klatt with a life-threatening gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries several days later.
The initial report came from Klatt's girlfriend, 36-year-old Shayla Dawn Shearer, who claimed that the shooting was
accidental. Shearer was arrested on the day of the incident and was initially charged with first-degree assault. Following Klatt's death, these charges were upgraded to second-degree murder. Investigators at the scene found evidence that contradicted Shearer's account of an accidental discharge. Police believed that Shearer pointed a. 380 Ruger pistol at Klatt's head and pulled the trigger.
As the case proceeded, Shearer's story shifted. While she initially maintained the shooting was an accident, she later claimed it was an act of self-defense, alleging that Klatt had been abusive. Klatt's family described him as a caring and loving person, and they were devastated by the loss and the changing narrative surrounding his death. The investigation revealed that Shearer and Klatt were in a relationship at the time of the shooting.
Ultimately, Shayla Shearer pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. In October 2025, she was sentenced for her role in Brayden Klatt's death, bringing a legal conclusion to a case that began with a frantic 911 call and ended with a family grieving the loss of a young man.
