In the early hours of Sunday, August 15, 2021, a home invasion in a northwest Oklahoma City apartment ended in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Phillip Gates. Gates, a Black/African American man, was inside the unit with his girlfriend, Myesha Alexander, when an attacker forced entry. Alexander escaped during the assault and went to a nearby 7-Eleven to call police. Officers found Gates deceased inside the apartment; investigators described the incident as a home invasion but did not immediately identify a motive.

Family members remembered Gates as a caring person devoted to his two young children and said his loss devastated those close to him. The case remained under investigation as police worked to identify the suspect. If anyone who lived in or near that northwest Oklahoma City complex on August 15, 2021, or who knew Gates or Alexander, has information that could help, please come forward.