Janessa Russell, 44, a mother of three, was killed in a violent shooting at a home in Independence, Missouri, on the afternoon of February 9, 2024. The attack occurred around 3:30 p.m. at a residence in the 1300 block of North Lynn Street and also claimed the life of her sister, 47-year-old Jessika Koehler, in a double homicide.

Officers responded after several calls reporting gunfire and found one sister in the driveway and the other on the basement floor; both had fatal gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead before transport to a hospital. A nearby high school was placed on temporary lockdown as a precaution. Surveillance from a Ring camera showed a man arriving in a vehicle, exiting with a pistol and running into the driveway while firing as he entered the open garage; officers discovered a suspect nearby who had a gunshot wound to his forearm and took him into custody.

Is there anyone who knew Janessa or Jessika who can share details about their lives or who might have seen activity around North Lynn Street that afternoon?