In Muskegon, Michigan, on the night of March 10, 2024, a dispute that had been simmering between occupants of two apartments escalated into fatal violence. Devonte Moore, a 28-year-old Black male, was on a front porch engaged in an argument when two individuals approached. One of the men, later identified as 34-year-old Deondre Kinte Johnson, reportedly uttered the words, 'What's up bro?' before raising a handgun and firing a single shot that ended Moore's life.
The entire tragic incident was captured on surveillance video.
The investigation into Moore's death revealed a backstory of conflict. Days prior to the shooting, Moore and several other people had allegedly been involved in an assault on Johnson's cousin. Johnson and his cousin had apparently made a plan to engage in a 'fair' fight with Moore, a plan that was ultimately abandoned in favor of the deadly confrontation on the porch. Johnson was no stranger to law enforcement; he had been paroled in June 2023 and had a prior conviction from 2020 for assaulting or resisting the police.
Following the shooting, authorities swiftly identified Johnson as the primary suspect. He was subsequently arrested and charged with open murder and weapons offenses for the death of Devonte Moore. The investigation also linked Johnson to another killing, the July 16, 2023, death of Nathaniel Hector. Johnson faced a trial for both murders.
In June 2024, Deondre Kinte Johnson's case went to trial. By December of that year, a jury found him guilty of the double homicide. On December 17, 2024, he was sentenced for his crimes, receiving a prison term of no less than 30 months and up to a maximum of 100 years. The community mourned the loss of Devonte Moore, with a funeral service held to honor his memory.
