In the pre-dawn hours of a Sunday in Lexington, Kentucky, the life of 15-year-old Trinity Tylia Gay was tragically cut short. On October 16, 2016, around 4 a.m., she was an innocent bystander in the parking lot of the Cook Out restaurant. A chaotic exchange of gunfire erupted between occupants of a gray Dodge Charger and a dark-colored sports car. As bullets flew, one struck the promising high school track star in the neck. She was not in either of the vehicles involved in the shootout.
Trinity was rushed to the University of Kentucky hospital by a private vehicle, but her injuries proved fatal, and she was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the senseless shooting quickly led Lexington police to several suspects. Within days, four men were arrested in connection with the incident. The men were identified as Dvonta Middlebrooks, 21; Chazerae Taylor, 38; his son, D'markeo Taylor, 19; and Lamonte Williams, 20. The initial charges for the Taylors and Middlebrooks were for wanton endangerment, with Middlebrooks also facing a charge for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Williams was later charged with wanton endangerment as well. Police determined that Middlebrooks had fired multiple shots during the incident.
As the legal process unfolded, the charges against one of the suspects were elevated. A grand jury indicted Chazerae M. Taylor on a charge of wanton murder, not because he fired the fatal shot, but because his actions were deemed to have created the violent environment that led directly to Trinity's death. The other men faced charges of wanton endangerment. Ultimately, Chazerae Taylor was convicted of wanton murder. Dvonta Middlebrooks was found guilty of wanton endangerment. D'Markeo Taylor and Lamonte Williams were also found guilty on wanton endangerment charges.
