On the evening of March 29, 2022, police officers in St. Louis, Missouri, were called to a residence in the Walnut Park West neighborhood regarding a shooting. Upon arriving at the home on the 5600 block of Summit Place just before 8:00 p.m., first responders discovered an unresponsive child suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, identified as 12-year-old male LaFrance Johnson, was pronounced dead at the scene.
He did not reside at the location where the shooting occurred but was visiting relatives at the time of the incident.
Investigators determined that the shooting was accidental and involved the victim’s 10-year-old brother. According to police reports, the younger sibling had located an unsecured firearm inside the home—described as an AR-style shotgun—and was handling it when it discharged, striking LaFrance. The boys were reportedly playing with the weapon, believing it was unloaded. The tragedy prompted local officials and the police department to renew calls for responsible gun ownership and the use of gun locks to prevent similar incidents.
Following the shooting, authorities arrested 36-year-old Asia Johnson, the aunt of the victim, who was present at the scene. She admitted to police that the firearm belonged to her. Prosecutors with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office subsequently charged her with one count of endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. The charges stemmed from allegations that she failed to properly secure the weapon, allowing the children access to it.
LaFrance was remembered by his family as a charismatic and creative child who enjoyed drawing and writing books. He was a sixth-grade student at Selvedge Middle School within the Rockwood School District. In the wake of his death, the school district released a statement expressing sympathy for his family, friends, and educators, while community organizations partnered with law enforcement to distribute free gun locks to residents in an effort to improve safety.
