On the morning of March 7, 2024, 56-year-old Monica Johnson-McNichols was fatally shot at her home on Huron Drive in Olivette, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. The shooting occurred about 7:20 a.m. as Monica attempted to enter the back door of the residence she shared with her son.

Her son, 25-year-old Jaylen Johnson, believed someone was breaking in and discharged a firearm, striking the person at the door. Only after firing did he realize the person was his mother. Monica was treated by those on scene and emergency responders but was pronounced dead at the location. Jaylen was taken into custody and charged by the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action; bond was set at $100,000.

Defense statements in the proceedings describe Jaylen as a former college football player with no prior criminal history who kept a gun after being victimized in an earlier armed robbery, and characterize the shooting as an accidental tragedy born of fear and mistaken identity. Does anyone have information about the incident or knew Monica or her family that could help clarify what happened?