On the evening of August 28, 2021, the violence of an unsolved homicide claimed the life of Tarey Johnson Sr., a 28-year-old Black man and father of four, in Kansas City, Missouri. The incident unfolded on the city’s east side, a neighborhood where Johnson’s family had maintained deep roots for nearly a century. Just after 7:15 p.m., Kansas City police officers were initially dispatched to reports of gunfire near East 33rd Street and Wabash Avenue.
While canvassing that area, they received a second call directing them a few blocks north to the 3000 block of Olive Street.
Upon arrival at the Olive Street location, officers discovered Johnson lying in front of his home, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. First responders transported him to a local hospital in critical condition, but despite emergency medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and died overnight into the morning of August 29. The residence where he was shot was a longtime family home, purchased by his great-grandmother in the 1930s, and was the site where Johnson had been raising his two sons and two daughters, who ranged in age from 8 to 11 at the time of his death.
The tragedy was compounded by a painful family history; Johnson was a second-generation victim of gun violence in the same neighborhood. His own father had been murdered just six blocks away in 1995 when Johnson was only three years old, a crime that also remains unsolved. In the wake of the 2021 shooting, his sister, Myeisha Wright, and other relatives organized neighborhood cleanups and block parties in his memory, hoping to generate leads and encourage community solidarity against the violence that had struck their family twice.
As of late 2025, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with Tarey Johnson Sr.’s death. Authorities have not released specific details regarding a motive or a description of the shooter. The case remains an open investigation with the Kansas City Police Department, leaving the family without closure as they continue to advocate for answers and justice for both Tarey and his father.
