Marcus Johnson was an entrepreneur with big plans for his future. He had a passion for life, but his was cut far too short, his family said Thursday.
The 19-year-old was an enthusiast of clothing and shoes, and he channeled his creativity into starting his own clothing brand. He also loved people deeply.
Marcus Johnson, 19, who started Splash Supply Clothing, wears a sweatshirt he created for breast cancer awareness because his aunt had that type of cancer. (Courtesy of Marcus Johnson family)
"Whenever he would come over for a family event, maybe there would be eight or 10 of us here, he would go around one by one and give you a hug," said his aunt, Tammy Greer Torbert. "He had a big smile and was a joy to be around."
Johnson's mother and aunt said they have no idea why he was fatally shot in St. Paul on Saturday night.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said this week that he thinks what happened to Johnson shows the importance of St. Paul installing gunshot detection technology. Thirty-three minutes passed between Johnson being shot and officers finding him because no one called 911 immediately, according to police.
Fletcher and others have been advocating for St. Paul to install ShotSpotter technology, particularly as the city continues to see high levels of gun violence — there were 30 homicides last year, the most in St. Paul in 25 years. Mayor Melvin Carter has said he wants to see evidence it works before allocating funding for it.
In a statement Thursday, Carter said, "Wild speculation about a tragedy still under investigation doesn't help our neighbors in mourning, and undercuts the officers working around the clock to solve this crime. Our comprehensive public safety strategy, which raised our number of police officers to its highest point in history while investing in a set of proven crime reduction strategies, is centered on real evidence and data, not fear-based talking points."
Jennifer Johnson, Marcus' mother, said she is focusing on her son's life and doesn't want his death to become a political issue.
Fletcher said Thursday he's raising the issue because he's concerned "about the future safety of other citizens in St. Paul."
911 CALLS ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER SHOOTING
Officers continue to investigate Johnson's homicide, and have not announced arrests or what led to the shooting. Police said Sunday it did not appear random.
Investigators believe Johnson was shot at 10:40 p.m., Saturday, said Steve Linders, a St. Paul police spokesman.
Police later learned that two people in the Western Hazel Park area heard gunshots and didn't call 911 because they had looked out their windows, but didn't see anything, Fletcher said of what he's been told about the case.
The first 911 call came at 11:07 p.m., with someone reporting a person was in the street at Rose Avenue and Kennard Street. The caller wasn't a native English speaker, Fletcher said.
In another 911 call at 11:10 p.m., the location was reported as Ross Avenue and Kennard Street, about a mile from the other intersection. Officers found Johnson at Ross and Kennard at 11:13 p.m., and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Johnson sustained multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office.
"This highlights the need to have instant reporting of shots that are fired," Fletcher said. "I don't know in this case if the victim would have survived his injuries, but the next time this happens it could easily be a life-threatening delay in reporting. The technology would have instantly notified the police that shots were fired and given an accurate location."
Officers found a stolen vehicle, which the suspects are believed to have abandoned, about a block away, according to Fletcher. If police had received information more quickly about the shooting, they would have had a better chance of apprehending suspects in the area, Fletcher said.
Police and Johnson's family are asking anyone with information to call the department at 651-266-5650.
'MILLION DOLLAR SMILE'
Johnson, whose family said was raised with a strong faith, attended St. Peter Claver Catholic School from kindergarten through eighth grade and St. Agnes School for high school, where he graduated in 2018.
He had a "million dollar smile" and "an intense drive to be successful," said Kevin Ferdinandt, St. Agnes' headmaster. He was on the school's basketball team, earned a scholarship and attended Riverland Community College in Austin, Minn., for a semester, where he played basketball, before returning back home to St. Paul, said Jennifer Johnson.
He was deciding where he wanted to go to college in the Twin Cities and running his business, Splash Supply Clothing. He created a sweatshirt to raise funds for breast cancer awareness because his aunt had that type of cancer — that was the kind of care he showed, Greer Torbert said.
Johnson's funeral service will be Saturday at St. Agnes and the basketball team will serve as ushers.
"He was a special young man who was respected in the communities he was a part of," Greer Torbert said. "In this tragic situation, we are feeling such an outpouring of support."
HOW TO HELP
Donations for Marcus Johnson's funeral can be made at gofundme.com/the-marcus-r-johnson-memorial-fund.
Twin Cities
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий