A silent 911 call brought police officers to a quiet residential block shortly after midnight, but by the time squad cars pulled up, the emergency was already over. Officers found 17-year-old Erin Smith lying in the backyard of a home on Lakin Avenue. She had been shot, and there was nothing anyone could do to save her life.
At seventeen, life usually centers on senior pictures, weekend hangouts, and making plans for what comes after high school. In a split second on a late Saturday night, all of that was stripped away from a young girl who still had her whole life ahead of her.
Great Bend police officers arrived at the 1400 block of Lakin Avenue right around 12:30 a.m. expecting a routine welfare check after a dropped phone call. Instead, people at the house directed them straight to the backyard where Erin lay dying. Paramedics confirmed she was gone right there at the scene.
Word of the shooting spread fast through the neighborhood, leaving family members and close friends in complete shock. Her sister turned to GoFundMe to help cover unexpected costs, describing Erin as a kind, caring person whose sudden absence leaves an unfillable hole in their daily lives.
While emergency crews handled the scene, investigators focused on finding out who pulled the trigger. They quickly learned that 19-year-old Keegan Martens had been at the home but fled before squad cars even turned onto the street.
Police launched a search that stretched far beyond county lines before locating Martens in Salina, about an hour and a half north. Authorities took him into custody without further incident and drove him back down to the Barton County Jail, where he remains behind bars.
Back in Great Bend, a family is stuck dealing with the harsh reality of an empty bedroom and unanswered questions. The police investigation remains open, but for those who knew Erin best, no court outcome can bring back the teenager they loved.
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