An afternoon shooting in the Baden neighborhood of north St. Louis left an 18-year-old aspiring athlete dead in the fall of 2026. Daveyon Johnson, a resident of the nearby suburb of Jennings, Missouri, was a student at Roosevelt High School, where he played as a wide receiver for the Roughriders football team. He was a junior, part of the class of 2027, and had been using the athletic platform Hudl to showcase his highlights to a growing list of followers.
The incident that cut his life
short began to unfold just after 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 27, 2026. Officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department were initially dispatched to the Rivertrail Apartments in the 800 block of Rivertrail Court for a reported shooting. The apartment complex is situated in a residential area of the Baden neighborhood, a community in the northernmost part of the city. Upon their arrival, police found Daveyon suffering from a single, critical gunshot wound to his head.
Emergency medical services responded quickly and transported the teenager to a local hospital. He was admitted in critical and unstable condition and fought for his life for a day. Tragically, Daveyon Johnson succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on Monday, September 28, 2026. His death marked another instance of gun violence affecting a young life in the city that year.
Following his death, the investigation was officially handed over to the department’s Homicide Division. Detectives began to piece together the events of that Sunday afternoon. Their preliminary investigation determined that while Daveyon was found at the Rivertrail Apartments, the shooting itself had occurred nearby. The scene of the actual shooting was identified as the 800 block of Makalu Drive, a short distance from where he was discovered by first responders. The circumstances that led to the shooting have not been publicly disclosed by authorities.
As of late 2026, the investigation into Daveyon Johnson's death remains active and ongoing. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has not announced any arrests or identified any persons of interest in the case. Detectives are continuing to seek information from the public to understand what happened on Makalu Drive that afternoon and who was responsible for the fatal shooting. The case remains unsolved, and the search for answers continues.
No public vigils or memorials for Daveyon have been announced, and his family has not released a public statement. The loss of the young football player left a void in his community and on his team at Roosevelt High School.
Authorities urge anyone with information related to the shooting of Daveyon Johnson to come forward. The Homicide Division can be contacted directly at 314-444-5371. For those who wish to remain anonymous, CrimeStoppers is offering a potential cash reward for tips that lead to a felony arrest in the case. The CrimeStoppers tip line can be reached at 866-371-TIPS (8477).
