Joseph Goree Jr was a 37-year-old Black man from Phoenix known to friends and family as a driven entrepreneur and music artist who performed as kingjosephthegreat. Online tributes describe his energy, ambition, and creativity, and say his life felt unfinished when he was killed.

In the early morning hours of October 12, 2023, a call came into Phoenix police about an injured person in a parking lot near North 5th Street in the Sunnyslope area, close to Hatcher Road and Dunlap Avenue. Officers arrived around 12:30 a.m. and found Joseph on the ground with a gunshot wound; he was already dead or mortally wounded when they reached him. The scene was treated as a homicide and homicide detectives took over.

Detectives asked the public to contact Silent Witness with information, and there is no indication that anyone has been arrested or formally accused. If anyone saw or heard anything that night or knew Joseph’s movements before the shooting, please share what you know with investigators.