In the early morning hours of September 3, 2020, tragedy struck the family of Shawndele Lydele Gray Sr., a 35-year-old African American man and father residing in Kansas City, Missouri. Known affectionately as 'Too Much' by his loved ones, Shawndele was an identical twin who shared an inseparable bond with his brother, Shawntele. He was a creative spirit who loved to draw, paint, and make music, often swapping clothes with his twin to the point where even close family members struggled to tell
them apart. Just after midnight on that fatal Thursday, Shawndele was navigating the city streets in his dark blue 2002 Nissan Maxima when he became the victim of a violent shooting that would leave his family searching for answers for years to come.
According to police reports, officers discovered Shawndele’s vehicle stopped near the on-ramp from 75th Street to U.S. 71, also known as Bruce R. Watkins Drive. Inside the sedan, he was found suffering from gunshot wounds that ultimately claimed his life. While the official discovery location was near the highway ramp, his mother, Sherry Paige, later stated that she believes the actual shooting took place blocks away at the intersection of 58th Street and Wabash Avenue. It is believed that after being struck by gunfire, Shawndele managed to drive the vehicle for a short distance before succumbing to his injuries at the spot where authorities eventually found him.
In the years following the homicide, investigators with the Kansas City Police Department have struggled to identify a suspect. As of early 2023, authorities reported that no persons of interest had been named, and no arrests had been made in connection with the case. The lack of closure has driven his mother to take matters into her own hands, commissioning billboards along busy roadways like 85th Street and Troost Avenue and distributing flyers in hopes of jogging the memory of anyone who might have witnessed the crime. Despite a reward being offered for information leading to an arrest, the person responsible for Shawndele’s death remains at large, leaving his grieving family, including his twin brother and children, to wait for justice.
