In the early hours of June 20, 2014, a young Black/African American man named Patrick Lightbourn Jr., aged 19, was fatally shot in Topeka, Kansas. The incident occurred at approximately 1:50 a.m. on the front porch of a residence located at 620 S.W. Tyler. Lightbourn was among a group of about a dozen people gathered outside the two-story house when multiple gunshots were fired from the street.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a light green car, possibly a Dodge Neon, with several
occupants inside, from which the shots originated. The gunfire struck both Lightbourn and the house. In a heroic act, Lightbourn was reportedly shielding a 14-year-old girl, Breanna Blake, from the bullets when he was hit. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The shooting was believed to be a targeted attack rather than a random act of violence.
The investigation into the homicide led to the arrest of two brothers. Damieon Matthew Ortega-Brown, who was 18 at the time, and his 17-year-old brother, Dominic Ortega-Brown, were taken into custody. Both were charged with first-degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling. Damieon Ortega-Brown was held without bail following his arrest. Friends and family remembered Patrick Lightbourn Jr. as a smart, funny, and kind individual whose life was tragically cut short.
