In the summer of 2020, a violent encounter in Kansas City, Missouri, led to the death of 33-year-old Michael Brown, a White male. On the evening of August 1st, police were called to the area of 12th and Lawndale after reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Brown in the street with a gunshot wound. He was immediately transported to a local hospital to be treated for what were described as life-threatening injuries.
Despite medical efforts, Brown succumbed to his injuries three days later, on August 4, 2020.
The investigation into the shooting quickly focused on a teenage suspect, Thorne McKendrick. Security camera footage from the scene proved to be a critical piece of evidence, reportedly showing McKendrick riding up to the location on a bicycle. The video then captured Brown emerging from his house and grabbing McKendrick from behind, leading to a struggle between the two men outside a vehicle. It was during this physical altercation over a gun that McKendrick shot Brown. Witnesses to the event, including Brown's own father, were able to identify McKendrick from the security footage. Court documents indicated a prior relationship between the two, suggesting that Brown had once tried to act as a mentor to the younger McKendrick and that McKendrick had been a former neighbor of Brown's father.
Following the investigation, Thorne McKendrick, who was 19 at the time, was arrested and faced several charges, including second-degree murder and armed criminal action. In October of 2021, the case reached a significant turning point when McKendrick, then 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action for his role in Michael Brown's death. His sentencing was scheduled for January of the following year.
