A 1-month-old baby in one vehicle was not hurt as investigators searched for the gunman.
DETROIT, MI — A brother and sister were fatally shot Wednesday afternoon while sitting in separate vehicles on Detroit’s east side, in what police described as a targeted attack that left a 1-month-old baby physically unharmed.
The victims were identified by family as 33-year-old Raye Johnson and his sister, 27-year-old Tacoreya “Rita” Johnson. Detroit police said no arrests had been made as investigators searched neighborhood surveillance video and tried to learn what led to the shooting near McKinney and Courville streets.
Police said officers were alerted at about 1:49 p.m. Wednesday by ShotSpotter, a gunfire detection system. Investigators said a suspect walked up and fired several shots into two parked vehicles. Raye Johnson and Tacoreya Johnson were killed. Family members and neighbors gathered near the scene, crying and holding one another as officers worked behind police tape. Tonia Brown, a cousin of Tacoreya Johnson, said she had been speaking with her shortly before the shooting. “I didn’t know what to think,” Brown said. She said she was planning to meet Tacoreya Johnson within minutes when relatives began calling about reports of gunfire.
Police said the siblings were outside a relative’s home when they were shot. Investigators believe the gunman was on foot and fired at least 12 rounds. A clear suspect description had not been released Thursday, and police had not announced a motive. Brown said she believed the shooting may have grown out of a public dispute on social media, but she said Tacoreya Johnson was not part of that conflict. When asked what may have led to the shooting, Brown said she was not certain but knew “some social media stuff” had been taking place. Police have not publicly confirmed that account.
The shooting left another young child without a mother. Police said Tacoreya Johnson’s 1-month-old baby boy was in the back seat of her vehicle when shots were fired. The infant was not hurt. Brown called his survival a sign of mercy amid the violence and said relatives now face the task of raising him with the memory of his mother. She described Tacoreya Johnson as generous and close to her family. “She’d help anybody,” Brown said. “She’d give the clothes off her back.” Brown said she and Tacoreya Johnson were together often and that losing her cousin felt like losing a sister.
The killings came as the family was preparing for another painful gathering. Brown said Raye Johnson and Tacoreya Johnson had planned to take part the next day in a balloon release marking nearly four years since a friend died in a car crash. Instead, relatives were mourning them. The scene near McKinney and Courville streets drew community members who said the shooting showed how quickly disputes can turn deadly. Pastor Maurice “Pastor Mo” Hardwick, who was nearby for a weekly peace walk with police, said the violence was another blow to a neighborhood already carrying too much grief.
Hardwick said the shooting showed the cost of anger and retaliation. “We are too aggressive with each other in this city,” he said. “Whatever it was, it ain’t worth their life and your life.” He said families are left to pay for funerals, court costs and years of pain after a few moments of violence. Police said they are reviewing surveillance cameras in the area for leads. Investigators also are working to determine whether the gunman had help and whether anyone nearby recorded the suspect before or after the shooting.
No charges had been filed as of Thursday, and police had not named a person of interest. The case remained an active double homicide investigation. Detectives were expected to continue canvassing the east-side neighborhood and reviewing camera footage from homes and businesses near the shooting scene. Officials had not said whether they recovered a weapon or whether shell casings at the scene had been tied to any other case. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office would review the case if police submit a warrant request against a suspect.
Brown said her family wants answers and accountability. She said Tacoreya Johnson was “a good spirit” and should not have been caught in the gunfire. “She should never even been here,” Brown said. “Wrong place at the wrong time.” Asked what she would say to the person who opened fire, Brown said she believed justice would come. Relatives said their focus is now on grieving the siblings, supporting the surviving baby and preserving the memory of a mother they described as loving, giving and present for the people around her.
The investigation was ongoing Thursday, May 21, with Detroit police still searching for the shooter and collecting video from the neighborhood. No arrest had been announced, and the next major step is the identification of a suspect.
Author note: Last updated May 21, 2026.