NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws and nephew were found shot to death in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in what appears to be a murder-suicide.
Police officers arrived at Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws Oklahoma home on Monday night after Terry Janway, Johnson’s mother-in-law, was suspected of shooting dead her husband Jack Janway, 69, and grandson Dalton, 11, before killing herself.
Police and relatives have provided little details about what may have preceded the alleged murder-suicide as tributes and sympathies have flooded in from all corners of the racing world.
The family has been through tragedy before as the Brother to Johnson’s wife Chandra Johnson, Jordan Janway, perished in a skydiving accident nine years ago.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Johnson has canceled his participation from this weekend’s race in Chicago.
According to a statement from the Muskogee Police Department, a woman who identified herself as Terry Janway, the mother-in-law to Johnson dialed 911 on Monday, June 26, shortly after 9 p.m. Before hanging up, the caller informed the operator that “a woman with a gun” was inside a residence on Suroya Street.
When police arrived, they discovered Terry Janway’s husband Jack Janway’s body lying in a hallway just inside the door of the four-bedroom, one-story home.
A single shot was heard shortly after from a different room in the house, according to a statement from Muskogee police.
The police retreated to safety and called for anyone inside to come outside. When nobody responded, they searched the house and discovered the bodies of Terry and her grandson Dalton.
Police suspect Terry killed her husband and grandson before turning the pistol on herself as cops arrived, according to police spokeswoman Lynn Hamlin.
According to Ms. Hamlin, Terry Janway was the only suspect in the fatalities, which were being investigated as a murder-suicide. She also stated that investigators had not found a motive. No ongoing threat to the neighborhood, she claimed.
According to city officials, many people in the small Oklahoman community of Muskogee, which is located about 50 miles southeast of Tulsa, have been impacted by the tragedy.
The Janway Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic in Muskogee was run by recognized therapist Jack Janway.
On social media, Jack’s friends, loved ones, and patients paid tribute to him as a devoted father, Christian, and physician.
Johnson’s teammate and former Formula 1 champion Jenson Button tweeted: “Sending love and prayers to my team mate Jimmie, Chandra and the whole Johnson family at this devastating time.”
NASCAR issued a statement Tuesday that said: “We are saddened by the tragic deaths of members of Chandra Johnson’s family.
“The entire NASCAR family extends its deepest support and condolences during this difficult time to Chandra, Jimmie and the entire Johnson & Janway families.”
Johnson’s No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet has been excluded from this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Chicago, according to a statement from Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club team.
The 47-year-old California native began motorcycle racing at the age of four before moving on to off-road and stock cars and making his Winston Cup debut in 2002.
In 2006, he captured the first of his five straight NASCAR Cup Series titles. He went on to win again in 2013 and 2016. Johnson shares the record for most Cup Series victories ever with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
Johnson is regarded as one of the finest NASCAR drivers of all time and has won the famous Daytona 500 twice.
Johnson took a break from racing for a number of years following a failed 2020 campaign. In 2023, he got back to racing with the Legacy Motor Club on a part-time basis and he now owns stock in Petty GMS Motorsport.
