On a late autumn evening in Little Rock, Arkansas, the life of 20-year-old Devan Sprawling, a male, came to a tragic and abrupt end. It was November 30, 2018, when Sprawling sustained a fatal gunshot wound. He was a graduate of Bryant High School who, after a year of college, had decided to pour his energy into his passion for music, working as a budding DJ and producer.
He was also an avid hunter, a pastime he had shared with his father since he was a young boy.
That night, Sprawling was at a house on Fair Park Drive with three other young men. What began as a gathering of acquaintances would end in bloodshed. According to the account given to investigators by 21-year-old Patrick Bennett, he believed he was holding an airsoft gun when he pointed it at Sprawling's temple and pulled the trigger. The weapon, however, was real. Instead of immediately calling for help, the individuals at the scene allegedly attempted to clean up before transporting Sprawling to CHI St. Vincent. A security guard at the hospital became suspicious of their behavior upon arrival and alerted the police. Sprawling was pronounced dead at the hospital later that night.
The aftermath of the shooting saw the arrest of three individuals. Patrick Bennett was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter. Two others present at the scene, 20-year-old Latrey Holloway and 20-year-old Bert Zinamon, were arrested on charges of tampering with evidence. During a search of the residence where the shooting occurred, Zinamon also faced a felony drug possession charge, while Holloway was charged with misdemeanor drug possession. All three men were later released on bond, a development that deeply pained Sprawling's family, as it occurred before they had even finalized his funeral arrangements.
Sprawling's mother, Yolanda Harrison, has been a vocal critic of the official narrative surrounding her son's death. Citing her son's extensive experience with firearms from his years of hunting, she finds it highly improbable that he would have carelessly played with a gun or allowed others to do so in his presence. Harrison, who works in an emergency room, described the wound as being indicative of the gun being placed directly against his head, which to her, suggests an intentional act rather than a tragic accident. She has questioned the timeline of events, wondering if her son could have been saved had 911 been called immediately. The loss of his car keys, house key, and bank card, which he always kept with him, also raised her suspicions about the full story of that fatal night.
