On a Sunday night, the 26th of October, 2008, the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of 19-year-old Chavares Block, a Black male sophomore studying pre-engineering. He and another student, 18-year-old Ryan Henderson, were fatally wounded in a shooting that also left a third individual, 19-year-old Martrevis Norman, who was not a student, with a gunshot wound to his leg. The incident unfolded at approximately 9:00 PM outside of the Arkansas Hall dormitory.
Witnesses described a vehicle approaching the area where Block, Henderson, and Norman were standing. Multiple gunshots were fired from the vehicle, striking the three young men. The immediate aftermath was a scene of chaos and panic, with fellow students and resident advisors attempting to render aid before paramedics arrived. Chavares Block was a sophomore pre-engineering major from Dermott, and Ryan Henderson was a freshman with an undeclared major from Little Rock. Both were considered innocent bystanders in a conflict that had no connection to them. The shooting was not a random act of violence, but rather the tragic culmination of a dispute that had occurred earlier.
The investigation, a joint effort by the University of Central Arkansas Police Department, the Conway Police Department, and the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office, moved swiftly. Within days, four suspects were taken into custody. These individuals were identified as 19-year-old Kawin Brockton of Conway, 19-year-old Kelsey Perry of Morrilton, 20-year-old Mario Tony of Little Rock, and 20-year-old Brandon Wade of Lake Village. None of the suspects were students at the university. They faced a litany of serious charges, including two counts of capital murder and committing a terroristic act.
As the legal process unfolded, it was revealed that three of the accused men testified that Kelsey Perry was the individual who fired the weapon. In a resolution to the case, Kelsey Perry pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. In March 2011, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the deaths of Chavares Block and Ryan Henderson. The other three men who were initially charged were not convicted in connection with the shooting. The tragic and senseless loss of two young lives left a lasting scar on the University of Central Arkansas community, leading to the creation of a memorial to honor the memory of the two slain students.
