Tyra T. Brown was 19 when a stray bullet struck her in the head on April 17, 2016, while she sat in the driver’s seat of her car outside a large house party in the 4500 block of Elmwood Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. A recent Olathe East High School graduate studying at Johnson County Community College with plans to become a pediatric nurse, Tyra was remembered as a talented singer, active on her church praise team, and someone who visited the elderly to brighten their day. She was driven to the hospital by friends and died on April 26, 2016, after nine days fighting for her life; her death was the city’s 30th homicide that year.

Police say many people were at the party but few have cooperated, and although they believe they know who is responsible, the volume of bullets fired has prevented pinpointing which shot was fatal. Tyra’s family continues to grieve and organized Tyra Tuesdays to keep her compassionate spirit alive. If anyone witnessed the shooting or knows who fired the fatal shot, please come forward with information.