LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville man is dead after a shooting and crash early Easter morning on Bardstown Road, leaving his family grieving during what was supposed to be a joyful holiday.
Police said 35-year-old Bryant Johnson was shot around 3:30 a.m. Sunday near the Taco Bell just north of Grinstead Drive. Investigators said he was shot in the groin but managed to drive a short distance before crashing into another vehicle at the intersection of Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue.
The driver of the second vehicle was not seriously hurt.
Johnson's brother, Brinnon Johnson, said he received the call early Sunday morning and thought it was a dream.Â
"I thought immediately, no, this isn't real," he said. "It probably wasn't him, or if it was, it had to be an accident."
Bryant Johnson holding his daughter. (Photo courtesy of Brinnon Johnson)
The brothers were adopted together as teenagers and grew up in a large, tight-knit family. Brinnon said Bryant was a charismatic man with a love for sports — but nothing compared to his devotion to his 3-year-old daughter.
"He had a beautiful smile. He could bring a smile out of anybody because he was funny," he said.
Instead of spending the day with family, Brinnon spent Easter morning moving easter eggs that were still in a box.Â
"I couldn't write anybody and say 'Happy Easter.' It was not a happy day for me," he said.
Now, Brinnon is asking nearby businesses to check their security cameras in hopes someone may have captured something that could help solve the case.
"I do feel like it will happen eventually," he said of justice for his brother. "I want everybody to know that my brother is still shining bright. He is still here with us and he is living through us."
As of Monday, police had not identified a suspect.Â
Anyone with information or video in the case is asked to call LMPD's anonymous Crime Tip Line at 502-574-LMPD (5673). Tips can also be submitted anonymously online through the department's Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.Â
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