Travis Chaney, a 39-year-old Black man, was remembered by his family as a loving father whose children—Tyler, Keyon, Khairi, and Mischa—were his "Heart." According to a memorial fundraiser, his death was senseless and occurred while he was "trying to do the right thing." He was close to his mother, Deidre, his sister, Kylee, and other relatives who were left to grieve a man they said had much more to accomplish in life.
On the evening of January 19, 2021, which was his 39th birthday, Travis was shot and killed inside a home in Ivanhoe, California. Tulare County Sheriff's deputies were called to the residence in the 15800 block of Azalea Avenue just after 9 p.m. for a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found Travis inside, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators learned that an argument between family members had taken place just before the shooting.
During the investigation, homicide detectives quickly identified a 17-year-old boy as the suspect. A spokeswoman for the sheriff's department stated that the suspect, who was not related to Travis, had used a rifle and was considered armed and dangerous after he fled the scene.
Hours after the deadly shooting, detectives with the CATTCH unit tracked the teenage suspect to a home in the 900 block of West Ashland Avenue in Visalia. After conducting surveillance on the residence, authorities moved in and arrested the 17-year-old. As of January 2021, a suspect was in custody and the case was proceeding through the legal system.
