Shayla Goretcki, 25, was found dead in her Midland, Michigan, apartment in the early morning hours of October 11, 2025. Police were called to the Robin Oaks complex on Eastlawn Drive about 3:40 a.m. after a 911 call from her boyfriend, 24-year-old Chepard Hompstead, reporting that she had been shot in the head. Officers discovered Goretcki deceased on her bedroom floor from a single fatal gunshot wound under her chin; a Glock pistol and ammunition were found nearby.

According to investigators, the couple had been drinking and had argued that evening. Hompstead told police he threatened to kill himself and retrieved a gun, and that a struggle over the weapon ensued before it discharged, striking Goretcki. Later the same day Hompstead was arrested, booked into the Midland County Jail, and arraigned on four felony counts including involuntary homicide/manslaughter, careless discharge of a weapon causing death, and two counts of felony firearm. The Midland Police Department described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there was no ongoing threat to the public. Bond was set at $1 million and a probable cause hearing was scheduled for later in October.

Does anyone have information about Shayla’s life in Midland or the events that night that could help investigators?