Leah Elizabeth Brown, a 22-year-old Black/African American woman from Shawnee, Kansas, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of October 1, 2017, in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. She had been on medical leave from U.S. Navy boot camp and had gone to Lawrence for a night out with a friend. Her mother had encouraged her to go to Lawrence instead of the Westport area in Kansas City, believing it would be a safer option.
Shortly after 1:30 a.m., as the bars were closing, a dispute
escalated into gunfire at the intersection of 11th and Massachusetts streets. Leah and her friend were walking towards their car after leaving a bar when they encountered what appeared to be a fistfight. Gunshots erupted, and a stray bullet struck Leah in the side of the chest. She collapsed at the scene and died from her injuries. Two other individuals, 20-year-old Colwin Lynn Henderson and 24-year-old Tre'Mel Dupree Dean-Rayton, both of Topeka, were also killed in the shooting. Two other people were wounded but survived.
The investigation that followed the tragic incident led to the arrest of several suspects. Anthony Laron Roberts Jr., then 20, of Topeka, was identified as the primary shooter and was charged with first-degree murder in Leah Brown's death and second-degree murder for the deaths of Henderson and Dean-Rayton. It is believed that while the other victims may have been targeted, Leah was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. Roberts was ultimately convicted for his role in the killings and sentenced to life in prison. Two other men, Ahmad Rayton and Dominique J. McMillon, also faced charges related to the incident.
