On October 9, 2017, 19-year-old Hakeem Canty was fatally wounded by a single gunshot to the back at Durrett Village Apartments (also called Liberty Pointe) in Clarksville, Tennessee. Canty had been staying there intermittently with his brother. The shooting occurred about 5:43 p.m. when a 24-year-old friend of Canty’s brother was attempting to clear a Glock 9mm and the firearm accidentally discharged. First responders found someone applying first aid; Canty was flown by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt University Medical Center but died later that night.

The Clarksville Police Department opened an investigation and identified the 24-year-old man, whose name was not released in initial reports. Canty’s brother described the friend as a fellow soldier who appeared deeply shaken and said he had no intention of causing harm; no charges were announced in the initial reports and the investigation was ongoing. Canty had just turned 19 days earlier and was remembered as caring, with plans to follow his brother into the U.S. Army and interests in the U.S. Border Patrol, video games and sports fandom.

If anyone has information about what happened that evening or knew Hakeem, please share what you can.