On September 22, 2016, forty-five-year-old James L. Hill lost his life during a violent encounter in Independence, Missouri. The incident unfolded late that Thursday night in the parking lot of a Walgreens pharmacy located at the intersection of 23rd Street and South Sterling Avenue. Hill was in the company of two other individuals when they were approached by two teenagers who were armed with a gun.
The assailants demanded their possessions, successfully taking a cellphone and a purse before turning to flee the scene.
In an attempt to retrieve the stolen items, Hill chased after the suspects as they ran from the parking lot. During the pursuit, one of the teenagers turned back and fired a weapon, striking Hill in the chest. Emergency responders transported him to a nearby hospital, but he was subsequently pronounced dead from his injuries. The entire confrontation was captured on surveillance video from area businesses, which proved to be a critical piece of evidence for investigators.
Law enforcement officers quickly tracked the suspects to an apartment complex in the 1700 block of South Sterling Avenue, just a few blocks away from where the shooting occurred. A standoff ensued when police arrived at the location. While one suspect surrendered to authorities relatively quickly, the other refused to exit the residence initially, leading to a tense delay before he was eventually taken into custody.
The investigation identified the shooter as Tyrell Young, who was sixteen years old at the time of the murder. A second sixteen-year-old, Keidren Robinson, was also identified as a participant in the armed robbery. Both teenagers were certified to stand trial as adults given the severity of the crimes. In August 2018, Young pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, and three counts of armed criminal action. He was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. His accomplice, Robinson, also pleaded guilty to the same charges and received a twenty-two-year prison sentence in May 2018.
