Keontae D’Shawn Tureaud was a 19-year-old Black man from Springfield, Missouri, described by family as a selfless, ambitious hard worker. A Parkview High School graduate who worked at Walmart, he registered as an organ donor after his mother suffered kidney failure. On the evening of July 1, 2023, Keontae was at a West Madison Street residence with friends where, according to witnesses, they were drinking and smoking. A 20-year-old friend, Nikolai Janes, retrieved a Glock .40 to show the group. Witnesses say Janes unloaded the gun, then he and Keontae began play fighting; Janes grabbed the firearm, pointed it at the back of Keontae’s head and pulled the trigger believing it was unloaded. Keontae was found with a life-threatening gunshot wound at 10:45 p.m., taken to a hospital, and died on July 3, 2023; his death was listed as the city’s 10th homicide that year and his organs were donated.

Janes was identified at the scene and arrested on July 2. Prosecutors first charged him with second-degree assault and armed criminal action; after Keontae’s death the charges were upgraded to first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action, with officials saying a series of reckless choices that night violated basic firearm safety rules.

If anyone was at that West Madison Street residence or has information about the night of July 1, 2023, please share what you know.