In the early evening of a late summer day, 23-year-old Andre Johnson Jr. was at a BP gas station on the east side of Detroit, at the intersection of E. Vernor and Mt. Elliot St. It was August 29, 2015, and Johnson was accompanied by his girlfriend and their two young daughters, who were seated in the back of his van. The family was on their way home from a barbecue when they stopped for gas and oil.
While Johnson’s girlfriend went inside the station to pay, an unknown man approached
the van from the passenger side. Without warning, the man reached into the vehicle and fired several shots, striking and killing the young father. His two daughters, aged one and two, were unharmed in the backseat but were tragically present to witness the horrific event. The assailant, a Black male whose image was captured on surveillance footage, fled the scene and has never been identified.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Detroit Police Department launched an investigation and appealed to the public for assistance. A cash reward of up to $2,500 was offered for any information that could lead to an arrest in the case. Andre, described as his mother's only child and a father to three daughters in total, was remembered as someone who enjoyed playing baseball and basketball. He had attended the Tri-County Educational Center in Berkley and was working temporary jobs while seeking steady employment.
Despite the circulation of the suspect's image and the offer of a reward, the case grew cold. Nearly a year after the murder, police had no suspects and few leads. The tragic death of Andre Johnson Jr. remains an unsolved homicide, a painful open wound for his family and a stark reminder of the gun violence that continues to plague the city. The community and law enforcement still seek answers and justice for the young father whose life was cut short in a senseless act of violence.
