In the late summer of 2017, a tragedy unfolded in Lexington, Kentucky, that cut short the life of 16-year-old Floyd Dunn III. On the night of September 2nd, the young Black male was with a group of friends who had left a block party to walk to a nearby store for drinks. As they stood outside the market on East Sixth Street, shots rang out into their group in what was described as an unprovoked attack.
Dunn was struck by a gunshot and rushed to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day, September 3, 2017.
The investigation into the senseless killing led Lexington police to three juvenile suspects. In January 2018, authorities arrested Raymond Thomas Smead, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, along with Herbie Booker, 17, and Dontaevius Bowie, who was also a juvenile. The three were initially charged with murder. Due to the severity of the crime, their cases were transferred to the adult court system, and they were publicly identified. The indictment revealed that the three had engaged in a conspiracy that led to Dunn's death.
Ultimately, none of the accused went to trial for murder. All three pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter. Dontaevius Bowie and Herbie Booker each faced five-year sentences for their roles in the killing. Raymond Thomas Smead, who also pleaded guilty to two unrelated robbery charges, received a total sentence of 17 years in prison—ten years for the death of Floyd Dunn III and seven for the robberies. During sentencing, it was noted by both the prosecution and Smead's defense that Dunn and his friends had done nothing to provoke the shooting.
