In the winter of 2019, the life of 42-year-old Ryan Baughman, a male resident of Delphi, Indiana, was tragically cut short in a violent encounter in Lafayette. On the evening of December 29th, Baughman was inside a Family Express convenience store when he was fatally shot. The man responsible for his death was identified as 22-year-old Kirklan Allen Conley of Lafayette.
The events leading up to the fatal shooting suggest a premeditated act of violence.
Reports indicate that about an hour before the shooting, Conley had gone to the home of his ex-girlfriend, who was in a relationship with Baughman. While there, Conley vandalized Baughman's truck. This act of aggression foreshadowed the deadly confrontation that would soon follow.
Later that evening, the conflict escalated at the Family Express. After shooting Baughman inside the store, Conley was confronted by law enforcement officers who had responded to the scene. As deputies attempted to detain him, Conley engaged in a brief exchange of gunfire. Ultimately, the confrontation ended when Conley took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound by the gas pumps.
The investigation that followed confirmed the incident as a murder-suicide, with no outstanding suspects. The Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office and Indiana State Police were involved in the investigation. No arrests were made as the sole perpetrator died at the scene.
