On the evening of Friday, March 22, 2024, 20-year-old Mahayla Swayze and a friend, 20-year-old Adrianna Howell, were seated in a parked car on Beard Street in Hot Springs when the vehicle was struck by gunfire. Emergency crews found both women with gunshot wounds around 5:15 p.m.; Howell was pronounced dead at the scene. Swayze was transported to a local hospital and died of her injuries on Sunday, March 24, 2024.

Mahayla Swayze grew up in the area and graduated from Lake Hamilton High School. She was a talented gymnast and pole vaulter who attended Culver-Stockton College on a pole vaulting scholarship and later coached gymnastics, remembered for her infectious smile and patience with children.

The Hot Springs Police Department identified multiple juvenile suspects and by the following week had two juveniles taken into custody; a third juvenile turned himself in the next day. The suspects face charges that include two counts of capital murder and one count of aggravated robbery. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.

If anyone witnessed the March 22 shooting or has information about the incident, please share what is known with investigators.