A fast-food meetup to buy a handgun from a stranger turned into a textbook worst-case scenario in Lafayette, where an attempted private gun sale in a Taco Bell parking lot ended as an armed robbery, according to court records.
Police say the would-be buyer had agreed to meet a seller around 7 p.m. to purchase a Glock 21. When he pulled out cash, someone in a Chrysler 300 allegedly snatched the money, racked the slide and pointed the gun before the car tore out of the lot. Officers later executed a search warrant and recovered a Glock investigators say matched the weapon the victim had been negotiating to buy.
As reported by WXIN, the victim told police he had linked up with 20-year-old Keiyon Weaver through a social-media group that advertised guns and arranged the Taco Bell meetup. Court documents reviewed by the outlet say investigators identified Weaver after tracing a video he sent the buyer and using the video’s apparent location to secure a search warrant.
WKRC reports officers found a Glock 21 during the search that matched the weapon the victim was trying to buy, and both Weaver and 19-year-old Tyquan Overall were taken into custody. According to that outlet’s summary of court records, Weaver admitted meeting the victim and acknowledged Overall had been with him on the call, but denied pointing the gun and said he intended to hand over the weapon before Overall drove off. The case remains an active investigation and will be handled by local prosecutors.
Charges and potential penalties
As WXIN reported, prosecutors have charged Overall and Weaver with armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, robbery and theft. The outlet notes that on the most serious counts, each defendant could face up to 16 years in prison.
How to stay safe when buying or selling
Police and public-safety officials have long warned that private, in-person deals for high-value items, especially weapons, come with real risk. They urge buyers and sellers to take basic precautions, such as meeting at a police station’s designated “safe exchange” zone or in a crowded, well-lit public place. Orland Park’s official public notice offers similar guidance.
Consumer-safety coverage, including advice summarized by Motor1, suggests meeting in public, bringing a friend along and confirming that payment is legitimate before anyone hands over cash or goods.
What’s next
Both men remain in the Tippecanoe County system as the case moves through initial review. Prosecutors will sort out formal filings and arraignment dates, and local outlets that have reviewed the court records say they will continue tracking new documents and hearings as they hit the public docket.
