A Texas teen on his way to pick up his girlfriend from work was found murdered in his car – his body riddled with bullets – after an apparent road rage incident.
And now his grieving family is demanding answers, with Cody Johnson, 19, shot and killed Friday evening near I-10 in Harris County, Texas.
Family members said he had left his mother’s home in Missouri City, about 20 miles south of Houston, an hour earlier, around 7 p.m.
Intending to pick up his girlfriend from her job in Katy, Johnson never made it, his parents said — pointing to data from an app that showed his Camaro came to a stop on the Katy Freeway around 8:04 p.m.
It is believed the car drove for some time before coming to a stop where it was later discovered.
Within minutes, he was found along the I-10 freeway, his car and body riddled with bullets, leading the local sheriff to suspect the incident stemmed from road rage. However, his office is still trying to determine what happened and has not yet named a suspect.
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The teenager would start a new job as a car salesman in the coming weeks, both said in emotional interviews
“On Friday…at approximately 8:05 p.m., Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) officers responded to a pending call in the 23600 block of the west Katy Freeway service road,” the department said Sunday.
“Upon arrival, emergency responders discovered an adult male outside his parked car, a black Camaro with gold rims, unresponsive to visible gunshot wounds.
“The man was airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased upon arrival,” investigators added.
“The HCSO Homicide and Crime Scene Units responded to the scene to conduct the follow-up investigation.
Cody Johnson, 19, was shot and killed Friday evening near I-10 in Harris County, Texas. Family members said he had previously left his mother’s home in Missouri City around 7 p.m
While on his way to pick up his girlfriend from her workplace in Katy, Johnson never made it – with an app showing his Camaro instead stopped on the Katy Freeway around 8:04 p.m. Shortly afterwards, officers are seen on the service road
“No motive has been determined for the shooting of the victim.”
Gonzalez went on to frame the killing as “a possible road rage incident,” without saying anything about a possible suspect, despite the police’s quick response time and the inherent issues of the road.
“People saw it, it’s I-10,” grieving father Mike Johnson told ABC 13 on Sunday. “It’s busy, and here we are with nothing.
“He was 200 yards from the Memorial Hermann Helicopter pad in Katy,” he added, revealing he was just a few miles from his girlfriend’s orbit.
“And no one stopped until the police found him.”
It is believed the car drove for some time before coming to a complete stop. Here you see police gathering around the 2013 muscle car
The victim was found along the I-10 feeder road riddled with bullets, prompting the local sheriff to say the incident likely stemmed from road rage
He added that he and police believed his son’s car had been running for “some time” before the call came in – a minute before tracking software showed it coming to a stop.
The devastated father also said his teenage son had recently recovered from a serious motorcycle accident that injured him in June.
He would start a new job as a car salesman in the coming weeks, he said — as he and his wife, Amy Juneau, spoke to multiple outlets.
He loved cars since he was just a toddler, so he followed his dreams,” Mike told KHOU 11 as the suspect or suspects remained at large. ‘Everything seemed to click and finally go in the right direction.’
“Even if he disconnects, or someone cuts him off, there’s no reason why that should kill him,” he continued.
‘Value in people’s lives is more than a car or a frustration.’
Both parents added that the black 2013 Chevy Camaro had been their son’s prized possession, as chilling images from the crime scene showed him sitting in place with his blinders on.
However, his office is still trying to figure out what happened and has not yet named a suspect, leaving parents Mike Johnson and Amy Juneau asking the public for answers.
“If you were driving on I-10 and he passed by, you would know,” Mike said, seeking answers from other residents who might have been aware of what happened.
“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare,” Juneau added, speaking to Fox 26 Houston. “His life was going in the right direction,” Mike stated. “Everything was going great, he was happy – he even said he was the happiest he had ever been.”
Although police said they suspect the shooting was caused by road rage, this has yet to be officially confirmed.
A description of the suspect (or suspects) has yet to be provided, with the murder investigation currently ongoing.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for more information as the Johnsons look to bury their son.
“No one appreciates life,” his father said in another emotional interview with ABC 13.
“We just want answers,” Juneau added. “We want him back more than anything, but if we can just get some kind of closure on what happened.”
The police investigation into the incident continues. They ask the public to come forward.
Houston – just a few miles from the crime scene – had the dubious distinction of being the city with the most road rage in the past decade, with a total of 215 incidents since 2014.
Tied for second place were cities such as San Antonio and Memphis, which each had only 107 incidents.
The trend has continued this year, with a 21-year-old killed last month after exchanging gunfire with another motorist on I-10.
The other driver fled before returning to the crash scene and is said to be cooperating with investigators.
The case was assigned and turned over to the district attorney for depositions and an investigation to determine whether charges will be filed, police said in that case.