On a tragic night in Lawrence, Kansas, the life of 20-year-old, Black male, Colwin Lynn Henderson of Topeka was cut short. In the early morning hours of October 1, 2017, a burst of gunfire erupted near the intersection of 11th and Massachusetts streets, leaving a scene of chaos and forever altering the lives of many. Henderson was one of three people who lost their lives in the shooting; the others were Leah Elizabeth Brown, 22, of Shawnee, and Tre'Mel Dupree Dean, 24, of Topeka.
Two other individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The violence is believed to have stemmed from an earlier physical altercation. Henderson had been at an event at the Granada theater earlier that evening. Later, a street fight broke out, and it was during this confrontation that the fatal shots were fired. Police who were headquartered nearby heard at least 20 gunshots and rushed to the scene. Henderson was a new father to a 10-month-old daughter and, according to his family, was striving to turn his life around for her. His loved ones described him as a gregarious young man with a smile that could brighten any day.
The investigation into the downtown shooting led to the identification of suspects. Anthony L. Roberts Jr., of Topeka, was arrested in connection with the killings. According to testimony during the trial, Roberts had traveled to Lawrence from Topeka with his codefendants to confront a rival group of men, which included Henderson. An argument escalated into a physical fight, at which point Roberts, who was armed with a handgun with an extended magazine, began shooting. It was stated that Roberts fired at least 15 rounds into the crowd. Evidence suggested Henderson was stooped over, punching another man when Roberts shot him in the back.
In June 2019, a Douglas County jury found Anthony L. Roberts Jr. guilty on three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Specifically, he was convicted of second-degree intentional murder for the death of Colwin Henderson and first-degree felony murder for the deaths of Leah Brown and Tre'Mel Dean, as they were killed while Roberts was attempting to kill Henderson. In August 2019, Roberts was sentenced to life in prison. Another man, Ahmad M. Rayton, was also convicted of attempted murder in connection with a fifth person who was shot and survived. A third man, Dominique McMillon, was also with Roberts that night.
