John Payne was 17 when he was found with multiple gunshot wounds in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on the evening of May 18, 2023. Jefferson County authorities pronounced him dead at the scene. Police investigated the shooting, identified a suspect, and an arrest was made; details about the suspect or a motive have not been released.

Friends and family called Payne Boo and remembered him as outgoing, friendly, caring, energetic, and charismatic. He attended Dollarway High School and worked as a traveling welder by trade. The community was left mourning his sudden, violent death.

If anyone knew John, his routines, or saw anything in Pine Bluff on May 18, 2023, please come forward with information.