In the quiet backyard of an Independence, Missouri residence, the life of 37-year-old Sharrieff Omar Muhammad came to a violent end. On the morning of Friday, December 9, 2016, he was discovered, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities were soon seeking a 26-year-old Kansas City man as a person of interest they wished to question in connection with the fatal shooting.
The motive for the shooting remained unclear to his loved ones, who described him as a man of peace, not violence or street life.
Sharrieff, known for his artistic talents, had channeled his passion for drawing into a career as a self-employed tattoo artist, operating his business from the basement of his home. He had dreams of launching his own clothing line, another outlet for his creative spirit. Raised in Kansas City as the eldest of six siblings, he was a graduate of the Manual Career and Technical Center and had briefly attended Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey.
His family and friends remember him as a man with a giving and uplifting spirit. His sister recalled how he would often encourage his younger relatives and siblings to seek more from life than the streets, drugs, or alcohol. He was known to stop and help strangers in need, such as a woman and her daughter who were having car trouble. Though he was unmarried and had no biological children, he was a loving father figure to his longtime girlfriend's son. His sudden and violent death left his family and community grappling with the loss of a man they describe as a positive force, always striving to uplift those around him.
