On the evening of January 24, 2023, tragedy struck in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, when 38-year-old Kay Johnson was fatally shot during an attempted carjacking. Johnson had just arrived at her residence in the 4700 block of South Compton Avenue and was parking her vehicle in her garage. She was accompanied by her 14-year-old daughter at the time.
As they sat in the car, two teenage suspects approached the vehicle, one on the driver's side and one on the passenger side, armed with handguns.
The assailants demanded that Johnson exit the vehicle. Reports indicate that when she refused to comply or did not exit quickly enough, one of the teenagers fired a shot through the window, striking the female victim in the face. She was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving her teenage daughter, who witnessed the horrific event, physically unharmed but traumatized. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle they had allegedly carjacked earlier. Police investigations later connected the group to a string of robberies and carjackings across the area in the days leading up to the murder.
Authorities identified and arrested two primary suspects in connection with the homicide: Brian Wellington, who was 13 years old at the time of the offense, and Deshaun Harris, who was 16. Despite their juvenile status, both were certified to stand trial as adults due to the severity of the crimes. The investigation revealed that the teenagers had been involved in a spree of criminal activity, including multiple carjackings and ATM robberies.
In April 2025, Brian Wellington pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree attempted robbery. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The following month, in May 2025, Deshaun Harris also entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and attempted robbery. A judge sentenced Harris to a total of 28 years in prison, which included a 23-year term for the murder charge and consecutive time for the armed criminal action. Prosecutors emphasized that the sentences were intended to send a strong message regarding gun violence, particularly noting the heinous nature of killing a mother in front of her child. Johnson was remembered by friends and family as a generous, hard-working hospitality employee who was deeply devoted to her daughter.
