Ivan Reed

Ivan Reed, a 20-year-old Black man from Lubbock, Texas, was described by loved ones as loving, caring, determined, and fearless. His last known job was at a local Wendy’s. His life was cut short on Christmas Day in 2022.

Late that night, at about 11:39 p.m. on December 25, Lubbock police officers were called to the 2100 block of East 4th Street for reports of shots fired. When they arrived, they found Ivan Reed suffering from a serious gunshot wound. Paramedics transported him to University Medical Center for treatment, but he was pronounced dead at 1:11 a.m. the following morning.

The Lubbock Police Department’s Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit immediately began an investigation. They learned that an altercation had occurred just before Reed was shot, though further details about the dispute were not released. In the initial days of the investigation, police asked the public for help and noted that information provided to the Crime Line could be eligible for a reward.

Investigators soon identified a suspect, 16-year-old Jamaree Shepherd, who was wanted for murder and considered armed and dangerous. On the afternoon of Wednesday, December 28, 2022, Shepherd was located and taken into custody. The arrest was made at 4:50 p.m. in the 1200 block of Dover Avenue by officers with the Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit and Texas Anti-Gang Center investigators.

Jamaree Shepherd was subsequently charged with murder. As of his arrest in December 2022, the case entered the court system and remains in litigation.