Lei Ala A. Turner was 30 when she died from a single, fatal gunshot wound to the chest at a south Lawrence apartment on the late evening of December 27, 2017. The shooting occurred during a family gathering at her sister’s home in the August Place Apartments; Turner was pronounced dead at the scene after immediate life-saving efforts.

Witnesses said a longtime family acquaintance, 27-year-old Willie K. Franklin, was handling a handgun and was showing it to others. They reported Franklin believed he had cleared the chamber and that the gun was unloaded before he pulled the trigger. Friends and family described Turner as fun-loving and social; the night had been spent planning an outing. Franklin reportedly told others he didn’t mean to before leaving the apartment.

Police identified Franklin as the suspect, located him in the days after the shooting, and charged him with involuntary manslaughter and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Friends set up a fund to help Turner’s family with funeral expenses.