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2008 University of Central Arkansas Shooting

SOLVED2008University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On the evening of Sunday, October 26, 2008, a shooting occurred after 9:00 p.m. CDT outside the Arkansas Hall dormitory on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in Conway, Arkansas. The university had approximately 12,500 students enrolled at the time.

Two students were fatally shot in the incident: 18-year-old Ryan Henderson and 19-year-old Chavares Block. A third person, 19-year-old Martrevis Norman, who was not a UCA student but was visiting the campus, was shot in the leg. Norman was treated at nearby Conway Regional Medical Center.

Four suspects were charged in connection with the shooting: Kawin Brockman, 19; Kelsey Perry, 19; Mario Tony, 20; and Brandon Wade, 20. Of the four, only Perry was ultimately convicted. Perry pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder along with other charges and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

The 2008 UCA shooting was noted at the time as the third incident that year in which an Arkansas college campus was the scene of a shooting. On January 23, 2008, an Arkansas State University football player, 20-year-old offensive lineman Alfred Louis, was grazed in the lower left leg when someone fired several rounds from a 9mm handgun at a residence hall; he was treated at a local hospital, and charges against the person accused of firing the shots were later dismissed. On February 27, 2008, a student was shot and injured at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR); two suspects were arrested and charged in that case, though it was later determined that the UALR shooting did not fit the pattern of a typical "school shooting" because it involved non-students.

Key facts

Victims
Martrevis Norman, Chavares Block, Ryan Henderson
Date
2008
Location
University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2008-01-23

    A shooting at an Arkansas State University residence hall grazed a football player's leg; charges against the accused shooter were later dismissed.

  2. 2008-02-27

    A student was shot and injured at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; two suspects were arrested and charged.

  3. 2008-10-26

    A shooting occurred after 9:00 p.m. outside Arkansas Hall dormitory at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, killing two people and wounding a third.

Best coverage

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People

  • Martrevis Norman

    VICTIM

    19-year-old non-student visitor shot in the leg during the incident; treated at Conway Regional Medical Center.

  • Chavares Block

    VICTIM

    19-year-old student fatally shot outside Arkansas Hall dormitory.

  • Ryan Henderson

    VICTIM

    18-year-old student fatally shot outside Arkansas Hall dormitory.

  • Mario Tony

    CHARGED

    20-year-old charged in the shooting; not convicted.

  • Kawin Brockman

    CHARGED

    19-year-old charged in the shooting; not convicted.

  • Kelsey Perry

    CONVICTED

    19-year-old charged suspect who pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and other charges; sentenced to 40 years in prison.

  • Brandon Wade

    CHARGED

    20-year-old charged in the shooting; not convicted.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas

35.0790, -92.4594

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A shooting outside a dormitory at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas on October 26, 2008 left two young men dead and a third person wounded; one of four charged suspects was ultimately convicted.
Where did the shooting happen?
University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas.
Who was convicted?
Kelsey Perry (19-year-old charged suspect who pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and other charges; sentenced to 40 years in prison.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Arkansas

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC2008 University of Central Arkansas shootingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ap.google.comap.google.com · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ozarksfirst.comozarksfirst.com · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026