These are the 25 Lexington homicide victims of 2023
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — The past eight years saw an increase in homicides in Lexington, except for one year, 2018, where homicides decreased.
2023 was different than the majority.
Despite going the entire month of January without a homicide — the first time in over two decades — Lexington saw 25 homicides in 2023.
While this is the first year homicides decreased since 2018 (where homicides were down by five), ABC 36 has tracked the number of young adults or minors involved in this gun violence throughout the year. For purposes of this story, we have defined young adults as anyone aged 18 to 24 and minors as anyone under the age of 18.
Eleven of the 25 victims, or about 44%, were under the age of 25, most of whom died from being shot; the exceptions being two children, one who was 9 months old who died of blunt force trauma and another who was 4 years old who died of an overdose.
Ten out of 44 victims, or 22%, were under the age of 25 in 2022; and 14 of 37 victims, or 37%, were under the age of 25 in 2021.
Here are the numbers and percentages from 2015-2020:
- 14 of 34 (41%) – 2020
- 13 of 30 (43%) – 2019
- 12 out of 23 (52%) – 2018
- 6 out of 28 (21%) – 2017
- 13 out of 26 (50%) – 2016
- 6 out of 16 (37%) – 2015
Below are the 25 victims of homicides in 2023.
These are their names:
Marquis Antonio Tompkins, Jr.
Marquis died on Feb. 6 in the 500 block of Toner Street. Police said he was found fatally shot inside a car.
He was 24.
Justin Cooke
Cooke died on March 17 in the 300 block of North Martin Luther King Boulevard. Police said he and a woman were both found shot. He died at a local hospital.
He was 43.
Marquan King was arrested as a suspect.
Timonte Harris and Lakeisha Hill
Harris died on April 20 in the 400 block of Chestnut Street. Police said he and a woman were both found shot. He died at the scene.
He was 43.
Hill was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. She succumbed to those injuries on Saturday, April 22.
She was 32.
Damar Weathers
Weathers died on April 30 in Castlewood Park as a result of a shooting. Police said he died at the scene.
He was 18.
Clinton Brown
Brown died on May 5 after being shot on South Limestone in downtown Lexington. Police said the shooting was preceded by “a disorder involving multiple people.”
He was 21.
Jamierion Allen was arrested as a suspect.
Michael Stinnett
Stinnett died on May 5 after being shot in the 1600 block of Summerhill Drive. Police said the shooting injured two others, one critically.
Stinnett was 16.
Stewart Watson was arrested as a suspect.
Jalen Henderson
Henderson died on May 22 after being shot in the 700 block of Florence Avenue.
He was 19.
Police said shortly after this shooting, police were called to the same area again for a juvenile who was shot.
The juvenile was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Kevin Reel
Reel died on May 28 after being shot in the area of North Limestone and West Short Street Avenue.
He was 35.
Scott Lawless was arrested as a suspect.
Christopher Valdez
Valdez died on July 5 after being shot at Pine Meadows Park on Tazewell Drive.
He was 16.
Two other juveniles were injured in the shooting as well.
Emmanuel Contreas and a juvenile were arrested as suspects.
Beverly Keesecker
Keesecker died on July 12 after being shot at her apartment in the 2000 block of St. Michael Drive following a report of a burglary.
She was 68.
Stacey Marshall
Marshall died on July 13 after being shot near the Lexington Cemetery in the 900 block of Whitney Avenue.
He was 31.
Courtney Wrenn was arrested as a suspect.
Sy’Kia Epps
(a photo of Sy’Kia was not available)
Sy’Kia died on July 30 after she was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
She was only 9 months old.
Her father, Syied Epps, was arrested and charged with her murder.
Willie Dixon
Dixon died on Aug. 15 after being shot in a home on Creek Path Lane.
He was 42.
Malik Sleet
Sleet died on Aug. 27 after being shot in the 900 block of Winchester Road.
He was 26.
Another man was also injured in this shooting.
Arliss Stewart
Stewart died on Sept. 19 after being shot in the 600 block of Marshall Lane.
He was 80.
Jim Bradburn was arrested as s spect.
Christina Fikes
Fikes died on Sept. 23 after being shot in the 500 block of Hollow Creek Drive.
She was 23.
Sami Younus was arrested as a suspect.
Dametrius Hampton
Hampton died on Sept. 23 after being shot in the 800 block of South Broadway in downtown Lexington.
He was 18.
Jacolby Williams was arrested as a suspect.
Ty’Juan Pearson
Pearson died on Sept. 24 after being shot in the 100 block of West Main Street in downtown Lexington.
He was 38.
Kristopher Lewis
Lewis died on Sept. 29 after being shot in the 100 block of Trade Street.
He was 28.
Trevon Cummins
Cummins died on Sept. 30 after being shot in the 1200 block of Centre Parkway.
He was 23.
Esaud Cortes
(a photo of Esaud was not available)
Cortes died on Oct. 15 after being shot in the 200 block of Race Street.
He was 47.
At first, he was identified as Samuel Lopez.
However, after further investigation by the coroner’s office, Gary Ginn said the man’s birth name is Esaud Cortes.
Robert Marshall
Marshall died on Dec. 12 after being shot by the Dairy Mart in the 1100 block of Winburn Drive.
He was 33.
Brighton Hendron
(a photo of Brighton was not available)
Hendron died on Feb. 26 after an overdose.
He was 4.
Anderson George, Briana Turpin and Raven Houston were arrested as suspects.
Devon Dockery Jr.
Dockery Jr. died on Dec. 27 after being shot multiple times in his car on Pemberton Street.
He was 34.
Twelve of the 25 cases do not have an identified suspect.
