University graduate released
from hospital after shooting
Kimberly Ann Nixon was the
sole survivor of a shooting
that killed two of her friends
By Jared Paben
News Reporter
Kimberly Ann Nixon, a 25-year-old
University graduate, was released
from Sacred 1 leart Medical Center on
Sept. 14, eight days after being shot
four times by her ex-boyfriend in an
apparent murder-suicide.
Nixon's ex-boyfriend, Lucas Bald
win Gibbons, shot her in the arms,
chest and leg with a .22-caliber semi
automatic pistol as she spoke with 9
1-1 dispatchers on Sept. 6, said
Sergeant Scott McKee, supervisor of
the Eugene Police Department vio
lent crimes unit.
Gibbons then turned on Nixon's
boyfriend, Skye Forest Balkwill,
shooting him in the head and upper
torso before Gibbons turned the gun
on himself.
Gibbons, 22, and Balkwill, 23,
both died at the scene, McKee said.
McKee said that because "the sus
pea ended his own life," it is a "rela
tively open-and-shut case." His de
partment will investigate where Gib
bons got the weapon and whether
there were "warning signs" of the
crime. Also, the case won't be closed
until results of the autopsies are re
turned, he said.
McKee said Gibbons and Balkwill
had been "best friends" when Gib
bons and Nixon broke up. Balkwill
expressed his interest in dating Nixon
and asked for his friend's approval.
Gibbons then reportedly gave the fu
ture relationship "his blessing."
Nixon said neither she nor Balkwill
had concerns about Gibbons when
he came over to Nixon's apartment at
891 Taylor St., at 7:30 p.m. on Satur
day, Sept. 6, McKee said. All three had
apparently been getting along, and
there had been no reports of prior
criminal incidents between the three,
McKee said.
But when Gibbons arrived at the
apartment he began voicing his dis
approval of the relationship and
talked about his resulting depres
sion. He then went to the bathroom
and returned with the weapon, de
daring his intent to kill all three of
them, McKee said.
Nixon stood up and tried to talk
him out of it, but was forced to sit
back down on the couch. She then
called 9-1-1 on her cel! phone at 8:21
p.m. She was shot during her call.
Gibbons then killed Balkwill
and himself.
Nixon, although seriously wound
ed, managed to crawl down the stairs
to her front yard while she communi
cated with authorities on the phone.
Police arrived to find her diere and the
two men upstairs in the apartment.
Nixon graduated from the Univer
sity in June 2003 with a Bachelor's of
Science in psychology, according to
the University Office of the Registrar.
All three individuals were from Eugene
According to McKee, the last time
of crime of this nature occurred was
about four years ago, when an es
tranged husband came home, found
his wife with her new boyfriend and
killed both the man and himself.
Contact the people/culture/faith
reporter
at jaredpaben@dailyemerald.com.
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