A small gathering outside Okmulgee, Oklahoma, in September 2020 ended in tragedy when 18-year-old Autumn Cannady was fatally wounded by a single gunshot to the head. The party reportedly had fewer than ten people present; some guests, including 19-year-old Marcus Patterson, had been drinking. Patterson allegedly was handling a firearm when it discharged, striking Autumn.

Autumn was transported to a Tulsa hospital but died of her injuries; she would have turned 19 the following month. The day after the shooting, law enforcement arrested Marcus Patterson and charged him with second-degree murder; he was booked into the Okmulgee County Jail and no other arrests were reported. Autumn’s family, who live in New Mexico, arranged to bring her home to Carlsbad for burial and her mother started a fundraising page to cover those expenses.

Friends remembered Autumn as a radiant presence who adored children and had helped in a church nursery; she was also a proud big sister. Does anyone who attended that gathering or knew Autumn have information that could add clarity to what happened that night?