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SUMMARY:
On Nov. 23, 2025, in Bristol, Tennessee, 18-year-old Elijah Khalil Campbell of Bristol, Virginia, allegedly opened fire at a home gathering on Lilly Street, killing 21-year-old Elexus “Lexy” Coleman and a 20-year-old male. Another 22-year-old male was critically injured. Campbell faces murder and attempted murder charges; three companions remain at large.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (DailyKenn.com) — Elexus Kate "Lexy" Coleman, a 21-year-old college cheerleader known for her infectious spirit, was among two young people gunned down in a burst of gunfire at a quiet residential gathering early Sunday, authorities said, plunging the close-knit Tri-Cities community into mourning as a teenage suspect awaits extradition on murder charges.
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The violence erupted shortly after midnight on Nov. 23, 2025, in the 100 block of Lilly Street, a working-class neighborhood straddling the Tennessee-Virginia line. Bristol Tennessee Police Department officers responded to frantic 911 calls reporting shots fired at a home where a group of friends had gathered after a planned party fell through. Upon arrival, they discovered a chaotic scene: 20-year-old Deonte Wright and Coleman pronounced dead at the residence from multiple gunshot wounds, while 22-year-old Kevin Collin lay critically injured, his condition described as life-threatening as he was rushed to a nearby hospital.
According to police affidavits and witness statements released this week, the deadly altercation began in the front yard when 18-year-old Elijah Khalil Campbell of Bristol, Virginia, arrived uninvited with three other males. What started as a verbal dispute over an unspecified slight quickly escalated. Witnesses, who had scattered for cover behind vehicles and into the house, recounted Campbell brandishing a handgun and firing first at Wright and Collin in the yard.
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As panicked partygoers fled inside, he allegedly turned the weapon toward the home, spraying bullets through the front door and striking Coleman, who had sought refuge there. "It was like something out of a nightmare—kids just hanging out, and then this explosion of noise and screams," one neighbor, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear, told investigators. No other injuries were reported, and the three companions with Campbell fled the scene but remain at large, though police described them as witnesses rather than accomplices.
Campbell, who knew at least one of the victims through mutual acquaintances, surrendered to Bristol Virginia police later that afternoon without incident. He faces two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, and multiple weapons violations. Tennessee authorities have filed for extradition from Virginia, with a hearing pending. "This was a targeted act of senseless violence that shattered multiple families," Bristol Tennessee Police Chief Matt Austin said in a statement. "We're following every lead to ensure full accountability."
Collin, a local mechanic with dreams of starting his own diesel repair shop, underwent emergency surgery and remains in intensive care, his family said, declining further comment. Wright, a recent high school graduate with a 4.0 GPA who aspired to automotive work, was remembered by his mother, Brittany Mead, as a hardworking son eager to build a future. "He was my everything—full of life, always fixing things with those clever hands," Mead said, her voice breaking during a vigil. "No parent should bury their child like this."
Coleman, born in Abingdon, Virginia, and a member of the King University cheer and dance team, was eulogized as a beacon of joy. Her cheer coach, Mary Edwards, recalled her as "a ray of light, the one who could brighten any room with her smile and passion." Friends and her brother, Travis, painted a portrait of unbridled kindness: "Lexy never met a stranger—she lived with such genuine emotion, always making any day brighter," Travis said. Her boyfriend, Alejandro Matelstreet, urged the community to honor her by embracing love fiercely. "She did everything with care," he said. Coleman, who dreamed of motherhood, left behind her mother, Kierra Sykes Coleman, and a host of grieving loved ones. Her funeral drew hundreds to Honaker Funeral Home on Nov. 30, with pallbearers including teammates and classmates.
The incident has reverberated through Bristol, a city of about 27,000 where violent crime is rare. Vigils lit up Lilly Street with candles and balloons in the victims' favorite colors—pink for Coleman, blue for Wright—drawing clergy, students and residents calling for an end to youth gun violence. "This isn't our Bristol; we won't let hate win," said community organizer Lena Hayes at a prayer service. Kierra Coleman echoed the plea for solace: "Prayers, thoughts, even a simple smile—anything to hold us through this darkness." Police continue to canvass for tips, emphasizing the investigation's ongoing nature amid rumors swirling on social media.
As the extradition process unfolds, families brace for trials that may unearth more pain but also demand justice. "Someone has to pay for these lives stolen too soon," Mead said. "They were good souls—Kevin with his little boy, Deonte full of promise, Lexy that bright light we all needed."
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Elexus Kate "Lexy" Coleman Obituary (2025)
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