On the evening of July 30, 2014, Mahopela Allen Jr., a 24-year-old Black man, was fatally shot in Berkeley, Missouri. He and a female companion were parked at the intersection of Short Avenue and Washington Avenue when the incident occurred.
According to reports, a friend of Allen's got into the back seat of the car and asked him to turn on the interior light. The moment the light came on, two individuals approached the vehicle and opened fire.
Allen attempted to drive away but was struck by the gunfire, causing him to crash into a parked car. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The female passenger was also shot but survived her injuries.
The investigation into Allen's murder was complicated by events in the neighboring city of Ferguson. The police resources in Berkeley were soon diverted to assist with the unrest following the shooting of Michael Brown, which occurred shortly after Allen's death. This shift in focus led to significant delays in the investigation of Allen's case.
In the years that followed, Mahopela Allen's mother, Shauntay McCollough, persistently sought justice for her son. She reported that the investigation had made little progress and that crucial case files had been lost during a transition to a new electronic records system. To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Mahopela Allen Jr., and the case remains unsolved. Authorities continue to ask for the public's help, and a reward has been offered for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible.
