17-Year-Old Arrested in Fatal Del City Apartment Shooting
17-Year-Old Arrested After Man Fatally Shot at Del City Apartment Complex
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested after a man was fatally shot during an early morning disturbance at a Del City apartment complex on Sunday, September 20.
Police identified the victim as 44-year-old Casteal Buckhanan. Investigators allege the teenager shot Buckhanan during a dispute between the man and the boy’s mother at Oakridge Village Apartments, located at 3354 S. Bryant Avenue.
Del City Apartment Shooting Began With Early Morning Disturbance
Officers with the Del City Police Department responded to the apartment complex at approximately 4:25 a.m. after dispatchers received a report of a woman screaming and objects being thrown inside an apartment.
As officers approached, another caller reported hearing five gunshots.
Police said they spotted two vehicles leaving the area at a high rate of speed. Officers stopped the vehicles and detained two adults and one juvenile while they investigated what had happened.
Inside the apartment, first responders found Buckhanan unconscious on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The Del City Police Department is leading the homicide investigation.
Police Say Teen Shot Man During Dispute With His Mother
According to investigators, Buckhanan and an adult woman had become involved in a physical dispute inside the apartment.
Police allege the woman’s 17-year-old son produced a firearm and shot Buckhanan multiple times during the altercation.
The teenager was taken into custody and booked into a juvenile detention facility on initial complaints of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a child.
Those are initial allegations, not a conviction. Prosecutors had not finalized formal charges at the time of the initial police report.
Authorities have not publicly identified the teenager. The department’s records office notes that juvenile information is redacted from police records released to the public.
Investigators have not publicly established whether the teenager acted in defense of his mother. The circumstances of the dispute, including what happened immediately before the shooting, remain part of the investigation.
Investigation Continues Into Fatal Del City Apartment Shooting
The fatal Del City apartment shooting remains under investigation as authorities work to establish the sequence of events inside the apartment and determine whether additional charges are warranted.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting Del City police, according to the initial information released about the case.
Investigators have not announced arrests of either adult detained when officers stopped the vehicles leaving the complex. Being detained for questioning does not necessarily mean a person will face criminal charges.
Police have also not released further information about the firearm or the relationship between Buckhanan and the woman involved in the dispute.
The case now moves toward a charging decision while investigators continue gathering evidence. Any formal allegations against the teenager will be determined through the juvenile justice process.
Residents with information about the shooting can contact Del City police at 405-677-2443. The department’s official police services page provides contact and reporting information.
Comments