Details Revealed in Lubbock Teen Drug Murder

LUBBOCK, TX – Gunfire erupted in Lubbock on June 9 at 11:22 p.m. at the Ella Apartments, located at 1102 58th St. when one group of teenagers attempted to rob another.

The Ella Apartments have been a site of continual violence and discord, as the Lubbock Police Chief Floyd Mitchell says there have been 155 calls to that apartment complex in the past two months, with nine of which being for shots fired.

14-year-old Dequavion Traylor was found dead at the scene. Traylor and three friends were sitting in the apartment where drugs, scales, and bags were found. The other teens aged 13, 14, and 17, were in the apartment when the rival group knocked on the door and Traylor answered. 

According to KCDB, new information has since been released regarding the crime.

The group of men who targeted Traylor and his fellow dealers solicited four women to assist in the crime. The girls picked up the group of young men at a local pool and took them over to the Ella Apartments.   Two women then proceeded to knock on the door and buy drugs from the deceased and presumably scout the scene. Then the men wearing black ski masks again knocked and opened fire on the deceased after he refused to comply.

Those inside the apartment returned fire but fail to hit anyone. The group of three men then fled the scene with one of the aforementioned women designated as the getaway driver. 

An unidentified 14-year-old has confessed to the killing of Traylor and confirms the information provided above. He said he wanted the deceased's drugs and money. Two other suspects, 17 and 24 years old, have been arrested in connection to the crime.

Spurred by the young age of those involved in the crime, the Lubbock Police Chief called upon to community to reach out to other youths who may likewise be drawn to violence, “We need our parents and our elders to step up. Because they know who these kids are. They see them, they know what they’re up to, they need to step up. Yank these kids’ chain and pull them back in the line. These are not older adults doing this. These are young kids that don’t know what the value of life is. They’re out there doing drug rips and getting into gun battles. We are truly lucky that no one innocent...got hit by any of the rounds that were discharged last night.”