Do you know who murdered Roderick Blue-Johnson? In the afternoon hours of a Tuesday in late November 2017, a young Black man named Roderick Blue-Johnson, just 21 years old, was gunned down in the Shawnee neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. The shooting occurred near the intersection of 38th and Jefferson Streets, only a couple of blocks from his home. Reports from that day indicate he was shot multiple times. First responders found him at 213 South 38th Street and he was rushed to University Hospital with a brain injury.
Despite medical efforts, Roderick succumbed to his injuries the following day, November 29, 2017.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Roderick's mother, Joyce Johnson, who worked as a teacher at an alternative school, made a public plea for peace. She urged her son's friends and the community not to seek revenge for his death, but instead to honor his memory through positive actions like pursuing education, getting a job, and supporting one another. She also made the decision to donate his organs, hoping that his heart could give someone else a chance at life.
The Louisville Metro Police Department opened a homicide investigation into Roderick Blue-Johnson's death. At the time of the initial reports, law enforcement had not identified any suspects and no arrests had been made. His case was listed among the open homicides for 2017 by the Louisville Metro Police Department, and anyone with information was encouraged to come forward. As of late 2017, the case remained unsolved, leaving a family and a community searching for answers and justice.
