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2023-01-26 Toombs Reed

#unsolved/solved #people/T/Toombs-Reed/Markell #people/F/Fortuna/Kevin #people/G/Gonzales/Juade-Rique

Murder of Markell Toombs-Reed

Overview

Markell Davarion Dawane Toombs-Reed, 24, was shot and killed on January 26, 2023, in the 4100 block of South Travis Street in Amarillo — the city's first homicide of 2023. Toombs-Reed was found dead in the street from a gunshot wound; investigators recovered 25 shell casings and determined that Toombs-Reed had also been armed. The case went unsolved for nearly a year until Amarillo police made a public plea for information in October 2023, releasing surveillance video that showed multiple suspects and a light-colored Chevrolet Impala.

Two teenage males were indicted by a Randall County grand jury in April 2024: Kevin Anthony Fortuna and Juade Rique Gonzales. As of late 2025 the case remained pending. Fortuna's trial was reset for May 11, 2026, after a judge denied his motion to suppress an alleged coerced confession.

People involved

Person Role
Markell Davarion Dawane Toombs-Reed, 24 Victim
Kevin Anthony Fortuna Co-defendant; charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence
Juade Rique Gonzales Co-defendant; charged with murder
Dee Johnson District Judge, 47th District Court (Randall County)
Mike Warner Fortuna's defense attorney
Cory Jones APD Homicide Detective, Sergeant

The shooting

On January 26, 2023, officers with the Amarillo Police Department responded to the 4100 block of S. Travis Street (the area of Southwest 41st Avenue and South Travis Street) after a neighbor reported shots fired. Upon arrival, they found Toombs-Reed in the street suffering from a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators recovered 25 shell casings in the street. Toombs-Reed also had a gun. A suspect vehicle was captured on surveillance camera, and additional video evidence showed multiple suspects in the shooting. The vehicle was described as a Chevrolet Impala, either silver, gray, pewter, or beige — its color difficult to determine because of the early-morning hour. Police said the vehicle could have had damage from the shooting. Toombs-Reed's death was considered unsolved until the department made a public plea for more information in October 2023.

Investigation

In the months following APD's October 2023 appeal to the public, police arrested Fortuna and his co-defendant, Gonzales. Their arrest warrants came after a Randall County grand jury voted to indict them. Fortuna was arrested on January 12, 2024, and charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence.

Charges

A Randall County grand jury indicted both Fortuna and Gonzales in April 2024 for the January 26, 2023 shooting death of Toombs-Reed. Gonzales was indicted for murder on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.

Kevin Anthony Fortuna

Fortuna was booked into the Randall County Jail on the following charges:

He has remained in custody in lieu of bond since his arrest.

Fortuna's case is being prosecuted in Randall County's 47th District Court before District Judge Dee Johnson. A plea could not be reached in an October 2025 hearing; at that hearing, Fortuna's attorney, Mike Warner, indicated intent to file a motion to suppress a "coerced confession." Warner filed a brief in support of the motion to suppress on October 17, 2025. At a subsequent hearing, Judge Johnson denied the motion. Another plea negotiation conference was scheduled within the following two weeks, and the trial date was reset for May 11, 2026.

As of December 2025, no plea had been scheduled for Gonzales.

Victim

Markell Davarion Dawane Toombs-Reed was born October 6, 1998, to Kissey Cummings and Michael Reed. He attended Amarillo High School and was described in his obituary as having a "peaceful and caring" personality. He was a technology enthusiast who enjoyed helping others, served on the drumline and in the youth department at Greater Love Temple, and was a father to a young daughter, Marellie Reed (Azelia). He is survived by his parents; his daughter; his sister, Moneasha Toombs; his brothers, Micheal Reed and Montrell Reed; his grandmothers, Marilyn Toombs and Debra Reed; and a large extended family. He was preceded in death by his great-grandparents, Anita Vinson and Dorothy Durham.

Key locations

Location Significance
4100 block of S. Travis Street (SW 41st Ave. and S. Travis St.), Amarillo Where Toombs-Reed was found shot dead in the street

Images

Markell Damarion Toombs-Reed (Amarillo Police Department)

Sources