TOPEKA, Kan. (This Is Topeka) — A 19-year-old Topeka man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting in the Oakland neighborhood, according to Topeka police and newly released booking records.
Caleb Eugene Brown, born March 11, 2006, was booked into the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center on Thursday evening, April 17, 2025. He faces charges of voluntary manslaughter — specifically for an “unreasonable belief of justified deadly force” — along with possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He is currently being held without bond.
According to WIBW News, officers responded around 4:40 p.m. Wednesday to the 1100 block of NE Forest after reports of a shooting. When police arrived, they found the victim critically wounded. He later died at the scene. Witness statements and surveillance footage led police to Brown as a suspect. He was arrested later that day.
This incident is the latest in a troubling string of gun violence incidents in Topeka neighborhoods, particularly in the east and central areas. This death marks another homicide this year in the Oakland area, a historically working-class neighborhood grappling with poverty, underfunded services, and increasing calls for safety reform.
Other Notable Arrests on April 17:
The same day’s booking report reveals a variety of serious charges lodged against other individuals, including:
- Haley Evelyn Freeman, booked for aggravated endangering of a child and obstruction by false reporting — both without bond.
- Marvin Antonio Flores-Barrera, held for domestic battery and criminal property damage — also no bond.
- Meleka Rene Holmes, facing multiple charges including battery on a law enforcement officer, interference, and drug possession, with several $1,000 bonds.
As of the morning of April 18, the Shawnee County jail listed 29 new bookings in the previous 24-hour period.
Community Response
In light of the shooting, community leaders and activists are again urging city officials to invest in youth intervention programs and mental health services. “We can’t keep criminalizing kids without looking at why they’re falling into violence in the first place,” said one local advocate.
The Topeka Police Department is continuing its investigation. Anyone with further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers or TPD’s Homicide Unit.
