Yahoo Sports Four found guilty in shooting death of Olympian Tyson Gay's daughter
The family of Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay got some justice on Monday after four men were found guilty in the 2016 shooting death of Gay’s 15-year-old daughter, Trinity, who was an innocent bystander when gunfire broke out outside of a restaurant in Lexington, Ky.
However, there is still one big question that remains unanswered, even after the trial.
Guilty of wanton murder and wanton endangerment
Via the Lexington Herald-Leader, defendant Chazerae Taylor was found guilty of wanton murder and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. His son, D’Markeo Taylor, was also found guilty of first-degree wanton endangerment.
Lamonte Williams was found guilty of five counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, while the final defendant, D’Vonta Middlebrooks, was found guilty on one count of wanton endangerment but not guilty on five other counts of wanton endangerment.
The wanton endangerment charges stem from putting four individuals at risk of death or serious physical injury. The four individuals were in or near the car where Trinity Gay was standing when she was struck.
Middlebrooks shot at the Ford Fusion, though his lawyer argued that someone in the car was shooting at Middlebrooks. Prosecutors said there were shots fired into the air.
In Kentucky, wanton murder carries a sentence of 20 years to life, while each count of first-degree wanton endangerment is punishable by one to five years. The four were set to be sentenced on Tuesday, two years to the day after Trinity Gay was killed.
‘I’m just glad it’s over’
Tyson Gay, a member of the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams and a triple-gold medalist at the 2007 IAAF Wold Championships, said at the courthouse that he and his family were glad there were guilty verdicts.
“I just hope something positive comes out of this situation. I really believe our prosecutors did a great job,” he said.
The last two years “have been rough for my entire family,” Gay said. “I’m just glad it’s over. I’m proud that my daughter got some justice.”
Trinity Gay was following in her father’s footsteps and was a budding track star; she ran an impressive 12.15 seconds in the 100 meters at the Kentucky 3A State Championship in 2016, placing fourth as a freshman.
In each of the last two years, a youth track meet has been held in the city to remember Trinity; the Trinity Gay Memorial Classic welcomed dozens of athletes to the facility at Henry Clay High School in Lexington in June.
Who killed Trinity Gay?
There still remains one significant question: who, exactly, killed Trinity Gay? Prosecutors can’t definitively say, even after 25 witnesses and 135 pieces of evidence presented at trial.
Her DNA was found on a .45-caliber bullet at the scene, but the matching gun has not been found, and there was no testimony stating who fired the gun.
Prosecutors argued that Chazerae Taylor fired the first shot, setting off a chain reaction that led to Gay being fatally struck.
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