On the morning of November 13, 2023, 41-year-old Joshua Dante' Harris was fatally shot outside his apartment complex in Clayton, Missouri. A resident of the quiet Moorlands neighborhood near the 7500 block of Wydown Boulevard, Harris had recently moved to the area with his wife and young child. The incident occurred just before 5:30 a.m. when Harris reportedly left his home to investigate suspicious activity near his wife’s vehicle.
Authorities stated that he interrupted a group of individuals attempting to break into cars in the parking lot.
Upon confronting the suspects, Harris was met with gunfire. Surveillance footage from the area captured a white Chrysler 300, which police identified as the vehicle used by the suspects. The video showed multiple shots being fired from the vehicle, striking Harris, who was pronounced dead at the scene by responding officers. The homicide was noted as the first murder in the city of Clayton in nearly two decades, shaking the local community.
Investigators with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis quickly utilized surveillance video to track the movements of the suspects. Three days after the shooting, police arrested 18-year-old Trenell J. Johnson. He was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Reports indicated that Trenell Johnson had been on bond and under GPS monitoring for previous charges related to vehicle theft and resisting arrest at the time of the shooting.
The investigation continued as authorities sought a second suspect believed to be the driver of the getaway vehicle. In August 2024, months after the initial incident, law enforcement located and arrested 19-year-old Darrion A. Johnson. He was taken into custody by Clayton police detectives and U.S. Marshals and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was held on a $500,000 cash-only bond while awaiting trial. Police clarified that despite sharing a last name, the two suspects were not related.
