Shawn Mayberry

Shawn Mayberry, a 49-year-old Black man, was a father of four who was known to some by the nickname "Toby." On the evening of Tuesday, July 9, 2024, his life was cut short in Kansas City, Missouri. Police were dispatched to a reported shooting in the Washington Wheatley neighborhood just after 9:30 p.m. When they arrived in the 2400 block of College Avenue, officers were directed to a residence where they found Shawn Mayberry just outside the front of the home. Emergency medical personnel responded but declared him deceased at the scene from what appeared to be gunshot wounds.

When officers arrived, another man was present at the location. He was taken into custody without incident, and authorities soon announced that they were not searching for any other persons of interest in connection with the shooting. Detectives and crime scene personnel secured the area to gather evidence and collect statements from witnesses.

The man taken into custody was identified as Brett Mayberry, Shawn's brother. According to court documents, Brett Mayberry told his girlfriend that the shooting was an accident. He explained that he and his brother had been drinking and started wrestling. During the struggle, he claimed, the gun discharged when Shawn pushed him. Witnesses at the scene later confirmed to investigators that Brett Mayberry was intoxicated and that he had admitted to shooting his brother accidentally.

Inside the residence, detectives located a 12-gauge shotgun that had a loaded drum-style magazine and a spent shell in the chamber. Following the investigation, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office charged Brett Mayberry with unlawful possession of a firearm and illegal use of a weapon while intoxicated. As of July 2024, his case was proceeding through the court system.