Kaylen Thomas was 16 and a student at McLoud High School when she was shot in the head and killed at a friend’s home in McLoud, Oklahoma, on October 5, 2018. She was active in cross country, basketball and archery and remembered in town for her vibrant spirit and community involvement. The state medical examiner ruled her death a homicide after investigators concluded the shooting was not accidental.

A 15-year-old girl who had been present at the time was charged in connection with the death. The case moved through several charging decisions; prosecutors shifted between first-degree manslaughter and second-degree murder before ultimately pursuing first-degree manslaughter. In September 2019 the defendant, then 16, pleaded guilty and was sentenced as a youthful offender to a 30-year term that placed her into the custody of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs for a rehabilitation program, followed by supervised home placement.

Did anyone in McLoud have information about Kaylen’s activities or the events of October 5, 2018 that could help fill gaps in the timeline?