In the small city of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, a tragic event unfolded that cut short the life of 12-year-old Dalayvain Hearne. The young African American boy was at a home with 21-year-old Leon Maurice Grant III on March 9, 2019, when a knock came at the door. Following a brief exchange between Grant and the person at the door, gunfire erupted.
During the shooting, Dalayvain was struck by bullets in both his head and ankle. Grant also sustained two gunshot wounds to his leg.
In the aftermath of the violent encounter, the young boy was rushed to the hospital where he was placed on life support. His family made the difficult decision to donate his organs, an act that ultimately saved the lives of five other people.
The Okmulgee Police Department swiftly began an investigation into the shooting. Their efforts led them to identify a suspect, Ronel Eugene Fultz. Initially, Fultz was taken into custody on an unrelated charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. However, as investigators gathered more evidence, they connected him to the fatal shooting of the young boy.
Consequently, the charges against Ronel Eugene Fultz were escalated to include first-degree murder, shooting with intent to kill, and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. The community mourned the loss of a young life taken too soon, with funeral services being held at the Brock Memorial Gymnasium before he was laid to rest at Hoardsville Cemetery.
