On the morning of July 15, 2023, in Tyler, Texas, 38-year-old Jaraine Tyrone Johnson was fatally shot at his residence on McKenzie Drive. The incident began when Johnson's brother, 31-year-old Lee Autrey Jodeci Morgan, arrived at Johnson's home around 7:00 a.m., seeking assistance in locating his truck. Before leaving with Morgan, Johnson reportedly told his fiancée, "If I'm not back in ten minutes, Jody shot me."
Approximately ten minutes later, the brothers returned to the residence. Shortly after, Johnson's fiancée heard what she believed to be five gunshots coming from the backyard. She discovered Johnson lying unresponsive, bleeding from the mouth, and immediately called 911. Emergency responders transported Johnson to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, back, and face.
During the investigation, authorities learned that Morgan had contacted his father, confessing to the shooting and attributing his actions to "hearing voices" that instructed him to shoot his brother. Morgan's father persuaded him to seek mental health assistance and to surrender to the police. Morgan was subsequently apprehended without incident at the Andrews Center in Tyler. A 9mm handgun, believed to be the weapon used in the shooting, was found in his vehicle.
Morgan was charged with first-degree murder and booked into the Smith County Jail on a $1 million bond. In September 2023, a grand jury indicted Morgan for the murder of his brother. As of October 2023, court records indicated that Morgan's next hearing was scheduled for November 20, 2023.
This tragic incident underscores the complexities of mental health issues and their potential impact on familial relationships, leaving a family and community mourning the loss of Jaraine Tyrone Johnson.
