Kenneth Wayne Bottoms Jr was 17 when he was fatally shot inside Fayette Mall in Lexington, Kentucky, on August 23, 2020. A verbal dispute near the Bath & Body Works escalated; surveillance footage described in reports shows Bottoms and acquaintances following another young man through the mall, after which 19-year-old Xavier Hardin drew a gun and fired once, fatally wounding Bottoms. Two bystanders, a 41-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the same incident.

After the shooting two 18-year-olds, Nasir Lyons and Cion Townsend, were seen removing items from Bottoms’ body before leaving the scene. Bottoms was taken to the University of Kentucky Medical Center and died later that evening. Police identified and arrested Hardin on murder and two counts of assault; Lyons and Townsend were arrested on tampering with evidence charges. Hardin later pleaded guilty to reduced charges including manslaughter and assault, and the charge against Lyons was dropped. Bottoms’ family has filed a lawsuit against Fayette Mall’s owners alleging inadequate security.