On April 22, a high-stakes law enforcement operation unfolded quietly within Harrisonburg. There was an arrest warrant issued to twenty-two-year-old Katelynn Ann Hipes, wanted for second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection to the death of Kevin Small. Hipes was taken into custody on Lee Ave. Harrisonburg PD, alongside U.S. Marshals Capital Area Task Force, SWAT, and Crisis Negotiation Teams, helped execute the arrest warrant. This was a textbook operation- no injuries, no shots fired, and the suspect was taken into custody. On paper is seems like a successful mission.
As someone who lives in the Harrisonburg community, I was deeply disturbed by this situation in many ways. First of all, it’s quite shocking learning there was someone wanted for murder just a couple of miles away from you, 3.4 miles to be exact. 3.4 miles is just as close as the local grocery store. But it’s even more shocking that I didn’t hear about this until the next day.
It wasn’t until the morning of April 23, the next day, that I even knew this had happened. I was doing what many of us do—scrolling through Facebook while eating my breakfast—when I came across a post that stopped me cold. It showed Hipes’ mugshot and the words “wanted for second-degree murder.” That immediately caught my attention. I read that a shelter-in-place was issued for the nearby neighborhood and affected streets. However, I just thought about how close I am to the incident and had no idea there was a shelter-in-place. What if I was driving right past Lee Ave? What if I was walking around near Lee Ave? I had no idea that something so dangerous was unfolding right near me. I received no alert. No text. No call. No email. Nothing. Harrisonburg PD should have had more communication, as many Harrisonburg citizens had no idea this ordered has been issued.
A Harrisonburg neighborhood, Charleston, was noticed instantly about the residents being in a shelter-in-place. My neighborhood is about a 2 minute walk from Charleston. When I heard that Charleston residents were placed on the protection order, I was confused on why not all close neighborhoods were notified.
I have watched plenty of documentaries over the years in similar situations that ended deadly. This was an extremely dangerous and unsettling event. As I am happy and thankful no one was harmed, it could have easily gone in a different direction.
Transparency is essential for citizens on all different communities. The lack of widespread communication during such a high-risk event leaves citizens feeling anxious, confused, and ultimately disconnected. That is how I feel- anxious, confused and disconnected. It makes me question how Harrisonburg PD would handel future situations.
This wasn’t just a story about a suspect being arrested, it’s so much more. This was a wake-up call for Harrisonburg. We are a growing city filled with families, students, professionals, and people who genuinely care about their community. We want to feel safe. We want to feel informed. And most importantly, we want to feel like our city has our back.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 