OKC DA seeks gun access review after two teen homicide arrests

Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna called Monday, Sept. 21, for a broader conversation about how children gain access to firearms.

Her statement followed the arrests of two teenagers in separate, unrelated homicides in Oklahoma City and Del City over the weekend of Sept. 19–20. A 16-year-old was booked on a murder complaint Saturday night in southwest Oklahoma City. A 17-year-old was placed in juvenile custody Sunday morning in Del City.

Behenna's statement, as reported by KOCO 5, addressed both cases and called for a broader look at how young people obtain firearms. She said when young people are involved in deadly violence, the community has to ask what it can do differently.

It is not the first time Behenna has drawn a public line between youth violence and firearms access. In June, when her office announced charges in the Arcadia Lake shooting that killed 18-year-old Avianna Smith-Gray, Behenna said firearms were introduced into a situation where they should not have been present.

Saturday: southwest Oklahoma City

Just after 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, Oklahoma City police responded to a report of a man with a gun at the Almonte Apartments in the 5900 block of S. May Avenue, near SW 59th Street. Officers found a man shot to death inside an apartment, according to Oklahoma City Free Press.

MSgt. Gary Knight, an Oklahoma City Police Department spokesperson, said investigators believe the suspect and the victim knew each other. The suspect stayed at the scene until officers arrived.

"It is still unclear what led up to this shooting," Knight said. "Investigators are still trying to determine that."

The victim's identity had not been released as of Monday, Sept. 21, pending next-of-kin notification. The shooting was the 46th homicide in Oklahoma City in 2026, according to Oklahoma City Free Press.

Sunday: Del City

Around 4 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, Del City police responded to the Oakridge Village apartment complex near S. Bryant Avenue after a 911 caller reported hearing things being thrown, a woman screaming and roughly five gunshots, as KFOR reported. Officers in the area saw two cars speeding from the complex and detained two adults and a juvenile.

Inside the apartment, first responders found 44-year-old Casteel Buckhanan unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Investigators said a fight between Buckhanan and a woman preceded the shooting. The woman's 17-year-old son allegedly fired the shots, according to KFOR. Del City police said they are still investigating whether the shooting was a case of self-defense and expected to release more information later in the week.

As we reported Sept. 21, the teen was booked into juvenile detention on a homicide charge.