On a Wednesday afternoon in Little Rock, Arkansas, the life of a 21-year-old Black / African American man named John Word was tragically cut short. On January 22, 2020, events unfolded that would leave a family grieving and a community seeking answers. The incident that led to Word's death began in the parking lot of an O'Reilly Auto Parts on Asher Avenue, reportedly following an alleged theft attempt by Word.
Later that day, at approximately 3:15 p.m., police officers at the 12th Street
Station were alerted that a shooting victim was being brought to their location. The vehicle, described as a white Nissan, never arrived. A search of the area led officers to the back of a Pic-Pac Liquor store on West 12th Street. Inside the passenger side of the Nissan, they discovered John Word, suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite the arrival of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting pointed to a suspect who claimed the shooting was an act of self-defense. According to the suspect's account, the shooting occurred during the alleged theft attempt at the auto parts store. While the shooter surrendered to the police, as of late January 2020, no homicide charges had been filed, and the case remained under investigation.
