On a warm summer evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the life of 82-year-old Black / African American female, Shirley Sue Mallory, was tragically cut short. On August 24, 2022, what began as a pleasant gathering on her porch with family and friends turned into a scene of unimaginable violence. A neighbor, with whom her family had shared a duplex for years, opened fire on the group, killing Shirley and injuring three others.
The Mallorys and the suspect's family had been more than just
neighbors; they were friends. Shirley and the suspect's mother were described as "porch buddies," often spending hours talking with each other. This long-standing friendship made the events of that evening all the more shocking. The suspect, identified as Lesley Bost, allegedly shot Shirley, her 86-year-old husband Ivory Mallory, her 88-year-old sister Carrie Barnhill, and a 65-year-old family friend. A surveillance camera captured the sound of laughter and conversation before the gunshots rang out.
In the immediate aftermath, police identified Bost as the suspect, but he was not immediately taken into custody. Shortly after the shooting, a fire broke out at the residence associated with Bost. The motive for this sudden act of violence was believed to be a disagreement over landscaping. The tragedy for the Mallory family did not end that night. Five months after the shooting, on January 27, 2023, Ivory Mallory succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the attack.
The search for Lesley Bost came to an end on September 6, 2022. When police responded to a residence to check on a "wanted subject," they heard a gunshot from inside. Bost was found deceased from what was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death left many questions unanswered, particularly for the grieving Mallory family who would never know the full reason behind the senseless violence that shattered their lives. Before his death, Bost had been charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide and four counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.
