On the evening of January 14, 2022, Richie T. Aaron Jr., a 30-year-old man, was traveling home to Independence, Missouri, aboard an Amtrak train. As the train was stopped at the Lee's Summit station, he was shot and fatally wounded. The man who shot him, later identified as 21-year-old Marquise L. Webb of Kansas City, fled the train at the Lee's Summit station. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, fellow passengers were not immediately aware of what had transpired.
The train then continued its journey northward to Independence. Upon the train's arrival in Independence, medical assistance was rendered to Aaron, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the shooting, Webb carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint near the Lee's Summit train station and fled to Kansas City. An investigation was launched, and authorities were able to identify Webb as the suspect. Two weeks after the incident, law enforcement officers located Webb at a residence in Kansas City. A standoff ensued, during which Webb barricaded himself inside and at one point, aimed a handgun at officers. The standoff concluded with Webb's surrender and subsequent arrest.
Marquise Webb was charged with several felonies in connection with the death of Richie Aaron. The charges included second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and vehicle hijacking. In his criminal trial, Webb pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, and vehicle hijacking. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison for his crimes. In addition to the criminal proceedings, the family of Richie Aaron filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Amtrak. The lawsuit alleged that Amtrak was negligent in its security measures and failed to provide timely medical assistance to Aaron after he was shot. A federal jury found Amtrak 90% liable for Aaron's death and awarded his family a settlement of nearly $159 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
