In the late morning of a summer day in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of a residential neighborhood. On August 26, 2018, at approximately 10:16 a.m., police responded to a call of a shooting at the intersection of 19th and Amis Street. Upon arrival, they discovered 29-year-old Raymond Buchanan suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was found lying on his side, having been shot in his left abdomen and shoulder.
Though slightly conscious, he was unable to communicate with the officers who found him.
Emergency medical services were quickly on the scene and transported Buchanan to a local hospital. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after undergoing surgery. The male victim's life was cut tragically short, leaving behind questions and a community searching for answers. The initial police report indicated that a witness at the scene had been in the backyard doing yard work when they heard the shots. This individual saw Buchanan running toward the back of the residence before he collapsed.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the witness recounted seeing a newer model black Chevrolet Impala with out-of-town license plates speeding away from the area. The vehicle was last seen heading east on 18th Avenue. In a tragic side note to the day's violence, the witness's dog was also found to have been shot in the head at the front of the residence.
At the time of the initial reports, the Pine Bluff Police Department had not identified a motive for the shooting. The investigation was reported as ongoing, with law enforcement appealing to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible. No arrests or suspects in the death of Raymond Buchanan have been publicly identified in the years that have followed, leaving his case unresolved.
