On the evening of October 27, 2020, Javon Merrill, a 27-year-old male, was fatally shot in Yonkers, New York. The incident occurred at approximately 9:35 p.m. as Merrill was exiting the Triangle Deli on Ashburton Avenue. Two individuals approached him outside the establishment, and one of them fired a single shot, striking Merrill in the chest before both suspects fled the scene.
Merrill collapsed and was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Merrill's death was a collaborative effort involving the Yonkers Police Department and the Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research. Detectives utilized video surveillance from the scene, which captured the shooting, along with DNA forensics and interviews with witnesses. Through their investigation, they identified a suspect: Maliki Johnson, a 15-year-old resident of Dover, Delaware, who had family connections in Yonkers. Investigators believe the shooting may have stemmed from a prior dispute involving gang members. A key piece of evidence was a sweatshirt discarded by Johnson after he fled, which contained his DNA.
Nearly a year after the shooting, on August 4, 2021, Maliki Johnson was apprehended in Dover, Delaware, by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Dover Police Department. He was subsequently extradited to Westchester County to face charges. Johnson was indicted for Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. On March 3, 2023, the now 18-year-old Johnson pleaded guilty to the murder charge. He was sentenced to a term of nine years to life in state prison for the killing of Javon Merrill.
