In the spring of 2023, the life of 16-year-old Divine Daniel-Vestige Warner of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, was tragically cut short. On Sunday, April 23, 2023, Warner, a junior at Valley Jr./Sr. High School, was involved in a fatal exchange of gunfire. The incident took place just after noon near a playground at the Valley Royal Court apartments in New Kensington.
During the altercation, both Warner and another young man, 19-year-old Dylan Walmsley of South Greensburg, were shot. Warner was transported to a local hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Walmsley sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen but was expected to survive. The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office later stated that the shooting was an isolated incident and there was no further danger to the community.
In the days following the shooting, the investigation began to shed light on the moments leading up to the fatal encounter. According to the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office, surveillance footage from the area showed Warner approaching Walmsley with a handgun. Authorities described Warner as 'the aggressor' in the altercation that ensued, which resulted in both individuals being shot. Following an investigation, multiple firearms were recovered from the scene.
Dylan Walmsley was subsequently arrested and faced several firearms charges, including carrying a gun without a license and illegal possession of a firearm. He was arraigned and initially held without bail. The charges brought against Walmsley, however, were met with anguish and protest from Divine Warner's family. They publicly disputed the official account that their son was the aggressor, insisting that the charges should have been more severe. Warner's mother, Jackee Harris, and other family members called for murder charges, asserting that Walmsley shot Warner in the back of the head as he was falling. Despite their pleas, the case against Walmsley proceeded on the initial firearms violations.
