In the early hours of Sunday, October 29, 2023, the life of 23-year-old Jaylon Pete, a Black / African American male from Wichita, Kansas, was tragically cut short. The fatal encounter unfolded in the parking lot of the Onyx Club in east Wichita, where officers, who were patrolling the area, heard gunshots at approximately 12:28 a.m. They discovered Pete with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead an hour later.
Two other men were also injured by gunfire during the incident.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect, 33-year-old Terrence Jamar Johnson. It was revealed that Johnson had been involved in a disturbance inside the club and was subsequently ejected. After being denied re-entry, he allegedly retrieved a handgun. Prosecutors state that Pete and Johnson were talking near the club's entrance when Johnson pulled out a pistol and shot Pete twice. Following the initial shooting, Johnson is said to have fired randomly into the parking lot, wounding two other individuals.
Interestingly, less than 30 minutes after the homicide, Johnson was arrested in connection with a separate domestic violence incident. However, he was released before authorities identified him as the suspect in the nightclub shooting. He was later apprehended without incident. Johnson was initially charged with first-degree premeditated murder, among other offenses. He eventually pleaded guilty to amended charges of second-degree intentional murder and attempted first-degree murder. In October 2024, a judge sentenced Terrence J. Johnson to 35 years and 7 months in prison for his role in the death of Jaylon Pete and the injury of two others.
