On February 13, 2014, 34-year-old Cody Devine was shot and killed in Sparks, Nevada, during a confrontation on private property. Devine and another person, Janai Wilson, were found trespassing when property owner Wayne Paul Burgarello confronted them and opened fire. Wilson was seriously wounded and Devine died from his injuries.

Burgarello was arrested by Sparks police on May 27, 2014, and charged with murder. He was held in custody initially and later released on August 22, 2014, while the case proceeded. At trial the defense argued Burgarello believed he was acting in self-defense or in defense of his property; on May 30, 2015, a jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

The shooting and the acquittal prompted strong reactions from Devine’s family and friends, who criticized the use of lethal force against unarmed trespassers.