Lyniah Bell was 19 and a freshman honors student at Michigan State University when she was killed on December 27, 2019, in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood while home on winter break. She was found inside a bedroom at her boyfriend’s apartment with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Family remembered her for academic achievements and aspirations to become a reporter and business owner; her mother, Evelyn Hightower, said she had spoken with Lyniah about an hour before the shooting.

An 18-year-old boyfriend, Lafayette Hodges, was present when the shooting occurred. Investigators reported that Hodges was allegedly playing with a gun and it accidentally discharged, striking Lyniah. He was taken into custody and later charged with involuntary manslaughter on the theory that the shooting resulted from reckless behavior rather than an intentional act. The case drew attention to gun safety and the risks of mishandling firearms.

If anyone knew Lyniah or has information about what happened that night, please come forward.