In the small town of Bourbon, Missouri, the life of 28-year-old Justin Alexander King, a male of Black and Filipino descent, was cut short on November 3, 2021. King was fatally shot by his 42-year-old white neighbor in the mobile home park where they both resided. The events of that day sparked conflicting narratives and drew attention from civil rights advocates.
According to the Crawford County Sheriff's Department, the initial investigation suggested that King was shot after forcing
his way into his neighbor's home, prompting the neighbor to act in self-defense. The shooter, who was initially taken into custody, was released the following day, and no criminal charges were filed against him. Authorities pointed to Missouri's 'castle doctrine,' a law that permits the use of deadly force against intruders, as a basis for their preliminary findings. They also cited surveillance footage that they said corroborated the shooter's account of the events.
However, King's family and some neighbors presented a starkly different story. They described King as a loving father who had moved to Bourbon to be closer to his young daughter. His family stated that on the day of the shooting, he was not a threat and was wearing only pajama pants. Witnesses reported that King was shot outside the neighbor's trailer. One neighbor recounted hearing King say, 'I thought we were friends,' to which the shooter replied, 'We were,' as King staggered backward after being shot. This account directly challenged the home invasion narrative put forth by law enforcement.
The conflicting accounts led to public outcry and calls for a more thorough investigation from King's family and the NAACP. Their efforts prompted a coroner's inquest to be held in January 2022. During the inquest, a jury reviewed evidence, including surveillance videos from inside King's home and outside the shooter's residence. After deliberation, the six-member jury concluded that the shooting of Justin Alexander King was a justifiable homicide, legally clearing the shooter of wrongdoing and closing the case without any arrests or convictions.
