On the evening of February 13, 2017, the life of 15-year-old DeAryn Hamilton, a Black male, was cut short on a street in Princeton, Kentucky. Princeton Police responded to a call around 8:11 PM and discovered Hamilton in the 300 block of North Seminary Street with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to the Caldwell Medical Center ER but was pronounced deceased. The investigation into the shooting uncovered a series of events that began with a robbery.
According to police records, Hamilton and another teenager, Cameron D. Malone, were involved in a plan to rob DeShaun La'Keith Palmer. During the encounter, Malone reportedly brandished a handgun, and the two teenagers stole a large quantity of marijuana from Palmer. As Hamilton and Malone were fleeing the scene, Palmer allegedly drew his own handgun and fired multiple rounds in their direction. One of these bullets struck DeAryn Hamilton.
Following the fatal shooting, an arrest warrant was issued for DeShaun La'Keith Palmer, who was considered armed and dangerous. The search for Palmer concluded on February 26, 2017, when he was located and apprehended in Madisonville. He was subsequently charged with murder in connection with Hamilton's death.
The case proceeded through the legal system, and on April 3, 2019, DeShaun L. Palmer was sentenced to a total of ten years in prison. Having entered a guilty plea, Palmer received a five-year sentence for an amended charge of reckless homicide and an additional five years for the charge of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. The judge ordered these sentences to be served consecutively.
