Kaylee Lanay Merchant was fatally shot on September 8, 2024, in Cleburne, Texas. The 18-year-old was a passenger in a white SUV in the 500 block of Poindexter Avenue when an altercation around 1 p.m. resulted in her being shot. She was taken to a local hospital and later died of her injuries.

Cleburne police identified 20-year-old Giovanni Jimenez Diaz as the primary suspect, issued an arrest warrant, and on September 13, 2024 he was arrested and charged with Merchant’s murder; he was booked into the Johnson County Jail. The investigation into the circumstances leading up to the shooting is ongoing.

Family and friends remembered Merchant as loving and joyful; a candlelight vigil at Hulen Park drew community members who shared memories and paid their respects. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact investigators.