On the night of July 5, 2021, a Fourth of July celebration in Lafayette, Indiana, turned into a scene of unimaginable tragedy at the Romney Meadows apartment complex. Residents had gathered outside to set off fireworks, but the festivities were marred by an escalating dispute involving 28-year-old Devonta Lashawn Roberts. Roberts, who had been drinking and acting aggressively throughout the evening, began arguing with his girlfriend, 22-year-old Victoria Moore. The confrontation reportedly stemmed from accusations of flirting with a neighbor. As the argument intensified, Moore attempted to retreat into her apartment with her children, including her 3-year-old daughter, Datoria Roberts.
Once inside the apartment, the situation turned deadly. Roberts followed Moore and unleashed a barrage of gunfire using a pistol equipped with an extended magazine. He fired approximately 22 rounds, striking Moore 17 times as she held her daughter in her arms. Datoria, a female toddler, was struck five times during the assault. Despite her severe injuries, the young girl was still conscious when first responders arrived. In a heartbreaking moment captured on police body camera footage, she was able to speak to an officer, identifying her father as the shooter before her condition worsened. She was airlifted to a children's hospital in Indianapolis, where she later succumbed to her wounds during surgery. Her mother was pronounced dead at the scene.
Roberts fled the apartment complex immediately after the shooting, speeding away in a blue Chrysler 300 sedan. A neighbor who had witnessed the earlier argument and heard the gunshots identified him to authorities. West Lafayette police officers located Roberts early the following morning, around 1:30 a.m., initiating a traffic stop. He was taken into custody without further violence, and officers noted he had blood on his shirt at the time of his arrest. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of his daughter and girlfriend.
During the legal proceedings, Roberts chose to avoid a trial. On May 20, 2022, he entered a guilty plea to both counts of murder. At his sentencing hearing in August 2022, the judge described the body camera footage of Datoria's final moments as the most heartbreaking evidence he had ever seen. The court rejected the defense's request for concurrent sentences, emphasizing the separate and distinct harm inflicted on each victim. Consequently, Roberts was sentenced to 60 years for each murder, to be served consecutively, resulting in a total prison term of 120 years.
