In the fall of 2019, the life of Candice Michelle Buford, a 36-year-old Black/African American woman, was tragically cut short in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the evening of October 20th, what began as a night out with friends descended into a fatal argument that would leave a family shattered and a community in mourning.
After returning to a residence near 18th Street and Capitol Drive from a few clubs, an argument erupted between Buford and 39-year-old Charles Kendrick.
The disagreement escalated, and while Buford was lying in bed with her eyes closed, telling Kendrick to be quiet, he entered the bedroom. In a sudden, violent act, Kendrick raised a handgun and fired a single shot, striking Buford in the head. A witness who was present in the home at the time recounted this harrowing sequence of events to investigators. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Kendrick reportedly turned to the witness and exclaimed, "I didn't know!"
The home was not quiet that night; eight children were present at the time of the incident. A 13-year-old boy in the house was awakened by the argument and the sound of the gunshot. When police arrived at the scene, they found a pistol on the floor near the entrance of the home. Kendrick emerged from a bedroom with his hands in the air. Inside, officers discovered Buford on the bed with a gunshot wound to her head.
Kendrick made several spontaneous statements to the police, some of which were captured on body camera footage. He admitted to shooting Buford, claiming he was only trying to frighten her with what he believed was an unloaded gun. After the shooting, Kendrick did not call for medical help. Instead, he posted a "farewell message" on Facebook and was reportedly preparing to take his own life when law enforcement arrived. He repeatedly asked the officers to shoot him, expressing a desire to die.
Candice Buford was rushed to a hospital, where she fought for her life for ten days before succumbing to her injuries on October 30, 2019. Following her death, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the cause was the gunshot wound she sustained. Charles Kendrick was arrested and initially charged with first-degree reckless injury, use of a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Following Buford's death, it was anticipated that the charges against him would be amended.
