Late on the night of August 1, 2019, police in Little Rock responded to a call to a Merrivale Drive residence and found 30-year-old Gary Maxwell dead of a gunshot wound. The call was placed by his girlfriend, 34-year-old Lafe Johnson, who told officers she had accidentally shot him. Authorities arrived at about 11:47 p.m., and Maxwell’s body was sent to the state crime lab for an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.

Johnson was taken into custody for questioning by homicide detectives and later released without charges while prosecutors reviewed the case. Investigators canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses as they continued to examine whether the shooting was a tragic accident or involved other circumstances.

If anyone saw or heard anything on Merrivale Drive that night or has information about Gary Maxwell’s death, please come forward.