In Wichita, Kansas, a long-simmering feud between two neighbors reached its tragic end on a Wednesday afternoon. Gilford Carter, a 55-year-old Black man, was shot and killed on May 4, 2016, outside the Calvary Towers apartment building where he lived. The fatal confrontation was the culmination of a dispute with his neighbor that had reportedly stretched back for four years.
The day of the shooting, Carter and 59-year-old Jimmie Earl Palmer had a verbal altercation outside their
apartment building at 2600 N. Grove. Following the exchange, both men returned to their respective apartments. About 10 to 15 minutes later, Carter went back downstairs, this time carrying a golf club. Palmer then came down with a gun to confront him.
As the two men faced each other, Palmer brandished his firearm. In response, Carter swung the golf club. Palmer then fired a single shot, striking Carter in the chest. Carter managed to run about 20 yards to a grassy area before he collapsed and died from his injuries.
Wichita police, who were nearby when the shot was fired, arrived at the scene around 4:15 p.m. to find Carter's body. Jimmie Earl Palmer was taken into custody for questioning and was subsequently arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder. Prosecutors later charged Palmer with second-degree intentional murder. He was held on a $250,000 bond pending his next court appearance. The history between the two men included a prior incident in 2012 where Carter had reportedly struck Palmer with a golf club.
