Joshua Brown, 26, of Springfield, Ohio, was fatally shot multiple times during an October 4, 2017 altercation at an apartment in the 1300 block of Delta Road. According to his father, Brown was trying to protect a friend, Raina Beal; both Brown and Beal were shot, and Beal died a few days later.

The suspect, identified as Kyle Xavier Bonaparte, was charged with two counts of murder. Court testimony described Bonaparte as the shooter and said Brown returned fire; Bonaparte’s defense raised his chaotic upbringing but the judge handed down two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. Brown was described as kind-hearted and giving, 6 feet 4 inches and over 200 pounds. He was expecting his first child with his girlfriend and his family struggled to cover funeral costs, so a GoFundMe was set up.

This was Springfield’s ninth homicide of the year and the community rallied around the family. If anyone knew Joshua, Raina, or events at the Delta Road apartment that night, please come forward with information.