Do you know who murdered Michael Carter? On a Thanksgiving Day in Louisville, Kentucky, a day traditionally marked by family gatherings and gratitude, violence erupted in Shawnee Park, leading to the death of 26-year-old Michael Lewis Carter. The incident, which occurred on November 24, 2016, also resulted in the death of another man, 32-year-old William D. McKee, and left five other people with injuries. Carter was a Black male.
The festive atmosphere of the annual Juice Bowl football games was shattered around 1:30 p.m.
when gunfire broke out near the event. Initial reports painted a chaotic scene, with multiple victims and a community left in shock. In the aftermath, both Carter and McKee were pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. For a time, the circumstances surrounding both of their deaths were under investigation, and Carter was listed as an open homicide case by the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Several weeks after the shooting, investigators from the LMPD homicide unit announced a significant development based on ballistic evidence. They concluded that the series of events began with an altercation involving Michael Carter. Police determined that Carter had pulled out a gun and started shooting, first injuring a man who survived, and then fatally shooting William McKee. In a turn of events, as Carter was attempting to leave the scene, he himself was shot and killed by an unknown individual.
This finding led the police to posthumously clear the homicide of William McKee, identifying Michael Carter as the person responsible for his death. However, the investigation into Carter's own death remains open. The individual who shot and killed Michael Carter has not been publicly identified, and no arrests have been announced in connection with his death. A year after the incident, Carter's mother expressed her frustration with the lack of communication and progress from the police department regarding her son's unsolved killing.
