Warrensburg, Missouri — A domestic violence attack in the early morning hours of Nov. 12 ended with two men dead—one a violent offender, the other an Army infantry veteran who stepped in to defend a woman he didn’t know.
According to the Warrensburg Police Department, officers responded just after 1 a.m. to reports of an armed domestic disturbance on Cedar Drive. Witnesses described a chaotic confrontation in the parking lot of a small apartment complex, where a woman was being dragged barefoot by a man later identified as Senior Airman Glyzua Ingram, a 509th Maintenance Group airman from Whiteman Air Force Base.
Neighbor Raelinn Patty, arriving home from a night shift, heard screams outside and immediately called 911. She watched as Ingram forced the woman away from the lot and behind a building while she struggled and cried for help. Patty continued updating dispatchers as the situation escalated.
The woman managed to break free and ran to Patty, who pulled her inside and barricaded the door. Meanwhile, 39-year-old Tony Barron, another resident of the complex, approached the disturbance in an attempt to intervene. Moments later, gunfire erupted.
Police say Barron, unarmed and acting solely as a Good Samaritan, was shot and killed by Ingram. The airman fled and was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a wooded area nearby. The domestic violence victim survived and was treated for non-gunshot injuries.
Warrensburg Police stressed that no officers fired their weapons, and no first responders were struck by gunfire.
Barron’s death shocked neighbors but did not surprise anyone who knew his character. They described him as someone who would run toward danger if it meant protecting another person.
Barron was a combat infantryman who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division, where he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge for engaging the enemy in ground combat. He had experienced the worst of war firsthand. His sister shared that:
“He seen some of his best friends die right beside him. He still continued to fight the great fight when he came home. He did have some PTSD, but he worked through it; got himself back on track.”
Photos posted by friends and relatives show Barron wearing the rank of Specialist (E-4) during his graduation from the Johnson County recovery program last week. For a soldier with years of service and multiple combat deployments, remaining at E-4 is uncommon without significant setbacks. It is likely he experienced non-promotable periods or demotions tied to legal or substance-related struggles.
Barron’s family acknowledged that he had faced those battles. He struggled with addiction for years after leaving the service. But in the two years leading up to his death, he had rebuilt himself from the ground up. He was 14 months sober, had just graduated a drug and alcohol recovery program, and planned to begin counseling others fighting their own addictions. He was proud of his progress and excited to spend Veterans Day at his daughter’s school.
His sister said he loved his children “more than life itself” and had worked tirelessly to be the father they deserved.
Neighbors described Barron as a friendly, energetic presence in the community—someone who played his music loud, joked with the people around him, and never hesitated to stop and talk. But beneath that friendliness was the core of an infantryman: direct, protective, and wired to step forward when others froze.
One neighbor said Barron’s actions likely saved the domestic violence victim’s life and prevented further casualties.
Barron died in the driveway of a neighboring building, roughly 50 yards from where the attack began and another 50 yards from his home.
Whiteman Air Force Base confirmed Ingram’s status as an active-duty airman. Wing Commander Col. Joshua Wiitala issued a statement expressing condolences to the Warrensburg community and noting that the base is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
A GoFundMe has been established to assist Barron’s children and family.
As the investigation continues, the Warrensburg community remembers a soldier who had endured more than most, fought to rebuild his life, and, in his final moments, acted exactly as those who knew him said he always did: without hesitation, and in defense of someone who needed help.
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