In the early morning hours of September 26, 2014, in Davenport, Iowa, the life of 18-year-old Thomas N. Taylor, a Caucasian male, was tragically cut short. He was discovered with a single gunshot wound to the chest at the Five Seasons trailer park and, despite being rushed to a local hospital, succumbed to his injuries. The news sent a shockwave through his family, who remembered him as a young man who was always smiling and making others laugh.
He had been looking forward to starting a new job at Purina the following Monday.
The investigation into the shooting quickly focused on an acquaintance of Taylor's, 29-year-old Devyn Fix. According to Taylor's mother, her son had been friends with Fix for about six months and would often visit his home to play video games. She had even been at the residence earlier in the evening and recalled everything seeming fine. A week after Taylor's death, on October 3, 2014, Devyn Fix was charged with second-degree murder. Court records also indicated that drug charges had been filed against Fix the day after the shooting.
During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that the shooting occurred during a party where Fix had been drinking and handling a loaded gun. In a tearful apology to Taylor's family during his sentencing, Fix expressed deep regret for his actions, stating, "I am sorry. Deeply truly sorry for your loss and what has become of that night because I was drinking and smoking weed and did not consider what my actions might cause." The judge characterized the shooting as an accident but condemned Fix's reckless behavior of pointing a loaded firearm at people.
Devyn Fix was sentenced to a prison term not to exceed 15 years for his role in the death of Thomas Taylor. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution. The sentencing provided a measure of legal closure for Taylor's grieving family, who shared heart-wrenching victim impact statements, speaking of the milestones their son would never reach, such as going to college or buying his first home.
