On a tragic Friday afternoon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the life of 41-year-old Keith Allen Liggins was cut short. On February 6, 2015, Liggins was working as a barber at the Gifted Hands Barber Shop when violence erupted. Caught in the crossfire of what investigators described as a gang-related dispute, he was struck by a stray bullet and fatally wounded. Three other individuals in the barbershop were also injured during the shooting.
Liggins was an unintended victim in a conflict that he had no part in.
The events leading to the fatal shooting began with an altercation involving individuals who were not associated with Liggins. Two men, later identified as Dezmen Smith and Chadrick Colbert, entered the barbershop and opened fire, targeting rival gang members who were inside. In the ensuing chaos, shots were fired from both sides. It was during this exchange of gunfire that Keith Liggins was tragically killed. Another barber and two customers were also wounded in the incident.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Tulsa Police Department launched an investigation that quickly led them to the suspects. Dezmen Smith was apprehended and subsequently charged with first-degree murder in the death of Keith Liggins. Following a trial, he was convicted by a Tulsa County jury. In a subsequent appeal, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals upheld his life prison sentence. Chadrick Colbert was also charged in connection with the shooting. The senseless act of violence that day not only claimed the life of a beloved barber but also left a lasting impact on the community and the families affected by the tragedy.
