Police announce arrest in Oklahoma party shooting that left 1 dead, 22
injured
[May 07, 2026]
By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
An 18-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a weekend
shooting that left one woman dead and 22 other people wounded during a
nighttime party beside an Oklahoma lake, police said.
Jaylan A. Davis was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon
in the wake of Sunday night's shooting, which erupted after an apparent
argument broke out amid a large crowd gathered at Arcadia Lake in the
north Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond, its police chief said.
Edmond Police Chief J.D. Younger announced the arrest at a news
conference and said the initial charge against Davis was in the process
of being upgraded to felony murder following the death of an 18-year-old
woman who was shot. Police identified the woman as Avianna Smith-Gray.
Davis was being held in the Edmond jail on a $1 million bond. He was
listed in jail records as an Oklahoma City resident.
There was no lawyer listed for Davis in court documents, and the
Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office said Davis would not be
assigned an attorney until the upgraded charges have been filed.
Detectives believe the incident began with an argument between two women
attending the gathering and escalated into an altercation between rival
gang members, the police chief said. Younger also said police think
there is at least one more suspect.
In addition to the 18-year-old woman killed, authorities said, others
suffered gunshot and shrapnel wounds as dozens of shots were fired at
the popular boating, fishing and swimming lake some 20 miles (32
kilometers) north of downtown Oklahoma City.
Six of the victims are juveniles, some as young as 15, Younger said.
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Edmond fire crews enter Scissortail Campground at Arcadia Lake in
Edmond, Okla. on Monday, May 4, 2026 after a party shooting on
Sunday evening. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Davis turned himself in Wednesday morning after police produced an
arrest warrant, the chief said.
“We’re trying to find justice for 23 people that were shot, one
that’s deceased and even the people that were involved. I think it’s
important not to demonize or separate the parties here,” Younger
said.
He added that multiple people discharged weapons and that more than
80 rounds were fired.
The woman who died, Smith-Gray, was a high school senior who was
looking forward to walking the stage at her upcoming graduation, her
family said on a fundraising page for her funeral expenses. The
family said she loved to dance, sing, do hair and much more. Her
sisters described her as a loving, smart person who was good with
kids and “so full of life.”
The party had been promoted across social media and drew a large
crowd of mostly young adults from around the Oklahoma City area to a
picnic pavilion beside the lake. The shooting occurred just as
officers were responding to a noise complaint about the party,
police said.
Authorities noted that organizers hadn't sought the necessary
reservations for such an event.
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