In the early morning hours of April 24, 2016, in Kansas City, Missouri, a 23-year-old Black woman named Tashari Nelson was shot and killed. Nelson, a mother to three young daughters, had reportedly called a male friend for assistance, stating that she had been assaulted. When her friend arrived at the 3700 block of Jackson Avenue, an unknown assailant or assailants opened fire.
Nelson was struck in the head by the gunfire. Emergency services found her lying on the pavement next to a vehicle. She was transported to a local hospital where she was declared brain dead and remained on life support while her family made arrangements for organ donation. A second woman also sustained a gunshot wound to the head during the incident but was expected to recover.
In the wake of the shooting, family and friends described Tashari Nelson as a loving and devoted mother with an outgoing personality. She had graduated from a Job Corps program and was working as a nurse, with aspirations of continuing her education in the field. Her death was classified as the 29th homicide in Kansas City for that year.
Despite the investigation into her murder, there have been no public announcements regarding any arrests or the identification of any suspects in the years following her death. The case remains unresolved, and the individuals responsible for the death of Tashari Nelson have not been brought to justice.
