On the evening of May 27, 2020, 7-year-old Justin Dewayne Owens of Amarillo was found gravely wounded by gunfire in the 3900 block of Paradise Avenue. Officers discovered a juvenile boy in the street with a gunshot wound; Justin was rushed for treatment but died two days later on May 29, 2020. Funeral notices and burial announcements show family and community mourning the short life cut short by sudden violence, with services held at Llano Cemetery.

The Amarillo Police Department’s Homicide Unit concluded the shot that killed Justin was fired by another child, aged nine, and investigators said no criminal charges could be filed because of that child’s age. Hospital officials noted Justin became an organ donor.

If anyone has information about the shooting or remembers events on Paradise Avenue that night, please share what you know.