In the autumn of 2022, the life of 23-year-old Keith K. Gaylord, a Black male, was tragically cut short in Topeka, Kansas. On the morning of Friday, September 30, 2022, police were called to the Meadowlark Apartments at 1621 S.W. 37th Terrace following multiple reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered Gaylord in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Keith, known to his family and friends as "Keithy," was a graduate of Topeka High School and was pursuing a business degree at Allen County Community College with aspirations of becoming a successful entrepreneur. He was employed at the Target distribution center and was a proud member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Described as having a generous heart and a brilliant mind, he was a health-conscious individual who enjoyed working out, playing basketball, and listening to music.
The investigation into Gaylord's death quickly led to the identification of suspects. The day after the shooting, law enforcement arrested 20-year-old Bruce Holloway Jr. of Lawrence and charged him with first-degree murder. A second suspect, 22-year-old Dujontez Jaimandre Jerome Owens of Topeka, was taken into custody on October 17, 2022.
During the initial investigation, officers found another individual at the scene with non-life-threatening injuries who was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The shooting was one of three homicides that occurred in Topeka that week, though authorities stated that Gaylord's death was not believed to be related to the other incidents.
