In the early hours of September 28, 2016, a gathering celebrating a birthday in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, turned tragic, ending the life of 30-year-old Brent Shonta Johnson. Johnson, a Black male, was fatally shot in the chest while attempting to de-escalate a volatile situation, an act his sister would later describe as heroic.
The series of events leading to Johnson's death began with a physical altercation between two men at a party on South Ellis Street.
One of the men involved in the initial fight, Laterrius M. Triplett, was reportedly angered by the outcome of the scuffle. Following this, Triplett, who was 22 at the time, approached 30-year-old Richard L. Jenkins, who was in possession of a loaded handgun. Triplett attempted to take the weapon from Jenkins, intending to retaliate against the man he had fought with earlier. It was during the struggle for the firearm between Jenkins and Triplett that the gun discharged, firing a single shot that struck the unsuspecting Johnson in the chest.
In the wake of the shooting, both Richard L. Jenkins and Laterrius M. Triplett were taken into custody. Investigators were faced with conflicting accounts as each man placed the blame on the other for the gun firing. Ultimately, both were charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The legal proceedings brought a measure of resolution to the case. Richard L. Jenkins eventually entered a guilty plea to the charges of involuntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In the spring of 2018, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the death of Brent Johnson. Laterrius M. Triplett was scheduled to face trial in July 2018 on charges of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.
