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Jimmie Johnson expressed his gratitude to those who have reached out amid his family's recent tragedy.
A month ago, on June 27, police reported that the NASCAR driver’s in-laws and nephew were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in Oklahoma.
Muskogee Police Department identified the victims as Jack Janway, 69, his wife Terry Lynn Janway, 68, and their 11-year-old grandson Dalton Janway, per a press release.
Speaking out for the first time since the deaths, the driver released a statement on his Instagram on July 28.
“Our family is devastated by the profound loss of (Terry) Lynn, Jack and Dalton Janway,” Johnson's statement read. “We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support during this unthinkably sad time and remain grateful for all of your compassion.”
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Johnson and wife Chandra Janway have been married since 2004. The couple are parents to two daughters.
At the time of the shooting, police department spokesperson Lynn Hamlin told NBC News that Terry Janway was the “suspect” in the attack.
On July 28, Hamlin confirmed that Terry Janway had gone by her middle name, Lynn, and told TODAY.com there were no updates in the case that she could share publicly.
On June 26 at approximately 9:05 p.m., dispatch received a 911 call from a female caller who said that there was a disturbance and someone had a gun then hung up, per the Muskogee PD. When police arrived at the scene, they found a person laying in the hallway in the front door before hearing another gunshot further inside the house. While searching the house, they found two more bodies.
Following the deaths, the seven-time champion’s team withdrew the No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet from the NASCAR Cup Series event in Chicago.
“The Johnson family has asked for privacy at this time and no further statements will be made,” the Legacy Motor Club tweeted on June 27.
Additionally, that same day, NASCAR also released a statement: “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.”
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