On May 28, 2021, the life of 18-year-old Lauren Elizabeth Lela Leslie, a Black female from Bloomfield, Connecticut, was tragically cut short. A recent graduate of Bloomfield High School, Lauren was visiting her girlfriend at a home on Lownds Drive in Windsor Locks. She was a student at Capital Community College with aspirations of becoming a physical therapist.
Family members described her as one of eight siblings, a young woman who was working hard to achieve her dreams.
In the early morning hours, neighbors reported hearing yelling and screaming, followed by a popping sound. When Windsor Locks police responded to the scene shortly before 1 a.m., they discovered a horrific scene. Lauren Leslie and another woman, Delores Wisdom, were found deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. A man, identified as David Wisdom, was also found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident was quickly classified by authorities as a domestic-related murder-suicide.
The investigation revealed that the perpetrator was David Wisdom, who had shot and killed his wife, Delores Wisdom, and Lauren Leslie before taking his own life. Lauren was at the residence visiting her girlfriend, who was David Wisdom's stepdaughter. The girlfriend was also shot and critically injured in the attack but survived. A fifth individual in the home was found unharmed.
While police have not officially declared a motive, Lauren's family believes the tragic events were fueled by homophobia. According to her brothers, Lauren had mentioned that David Wisdom was uncomfortable with her relationship with his stepdaughter. Her family feels that she was killed for being her true self. The devastating loss prompted an outpouring of grief from the community, with family and friends remembering Lauren as a beloved daughter, sister, and friend who was just beginning her adult life.
