In the early morning hours of May 7, 2022, a burst of gunfire in the 400 block of South College Avenue in Salina, Kansas, shattered the quiet, marking the tragic end of 25-year-old Dylan Eugene Garman's life. A White male, Garman was a beloved son, brother, and uncle who was working to turn his life around. His efforts were cut short when he was shot four times in the chest in what his family described as a heartless act of violence by a coward.
Salina Police were first dispatched to the
South College Avenue location around 3:20 a.m. after reports of multiple gunshots. Upon arrival, they discovered spent ammunition casings in the street, but no victims or witnesses were immediately present. A few minutes later, at approximately 3:23 a.m., a call came from the Salina Regional Health Center emergency room, reporting that two gunshot victims, an 18-year-old female and Garman, had arrived. Tragically, Garman was pronounced deceased by the medical staff.
The investigation quickly unfolded as a homicide case, revealing a larger and more complex series of events. At about 3:34 a.m., another call led officers to the 500 block of East Cloud Street, where they found a 23-year-old male lying in a front yard with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery before being transferred to a Wichita hospital with serious injuries. Investigators believe this victim fled the initial shooting scene on South College Avenue on foot.
The Salina Police Department's investigation into what they determined to be an exchange of gunfire led them to identify several individuals involved. In the days following the shooting, police identified 28-year-old Dalton Levi Palmer as a person of interest and warned the public that he should be considered armed and dangerous due to his criminal history. After a lengthy investigation, arrest warrants were issued on January 31, 2023, for Palmer, Dakota Wayne Bunting, and Tataum Elois Escamilla.
Dalton Palmer was arrested in Salina on January 31, 2023. Tataum Escamilla was apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Benton County, Arkansas, on February 1, 2023, and Dakota Bunting was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Bryant County, Oklahoma, on February 6, 2023. Escamilla faced charges of First Degree Murder and Attempted First Degree Murder. Palmer and Bunting were charged with Voluntary Manslaughter, Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana.
