On the early morning of April 4, 2020, a violent incident unfolded at a gas station in Kansas City, Missouri, resulting in the death of 27-year-old Shea Devania Henry. Shea, a female resident of the area, was discovered unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a silver 2017 Volkswagen Passat parked at the location on 5901 Troost Avenue. Police officers were dispatched to the scene just after 1:00 a.m. following reports of a shooting.
Upon arrival, they found that she had sustained fatal gunshot wounds and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation immediately focused on the events leading up to the shooting, which appeared to stem from an attempted vehicle theft. According to detectives, the owner of the Volkswagen, identified as 26-year-old Lawrence Perkins, had stopped at the convenience store on his way home from work. Perkins allegedly told investigators that while he was inside the store, he observed a dark Ford Fusion speed away and saw a woman, later identified as Henry, attempting to take his vehicle. He reportedly exited the store, drew a firearm, and approached the Passat as Henry attempted to reverse the car. Perkins admitted to firing his weapon multiple times at the vehicle and the driver before the car struck a tree and came to a halt.
Law enforcement officers took Lawrence Perkins into custody at the scene, where he reportedly waited and called 911 after the shooting. A probable cause statement noted that detectives recovered approximately ten spent shell casings and found a weapon in Perkins' pocket that had been fired until it was empty. Following the investigation, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office charged Perkins with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. Perkins stated to authorities that he had fired in response to the theft of his vehicle, claiming the reversing car had knocked him backward, though video surveillance was used to corroborate parts of the sequence of events.
