On a warm Friday night in the Bronx, 19-year-old Tyana Johnson was celebrating a milestone. It was June 12, 2020, and she had recently earned her associate's degree from Monroe College, a joyous occasion that brought her to a graduation party in Shoelace Park. The festivities, however, took a tragic turn when gunfire erupted, forever altering the lives of those present.
At approximately 11:00 p.m., two unidentified men exited a silver BMW and opened fire on the crowd of about 150 people.
Johnson, an innocent bystander, was struck multiple times. Emergency services rushed her to Jacobi Medical Center, but her injuries proved fatal. Three other individuals, a 24-year-old man and two teenage boys, were also wounded in the shooting but were expected to recover.
In the immediate aftermath, the New York Police Department launched an investigation into the senseless act of violence. Authorities believed Johnson was not the intended target of the shooters. A reward of up to $10,000 was offered for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Later in June 2020, the NYPD released surveillance video of a man who was wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. Despite these efforts, and the heartfelt pleas from Johnson's family for the perpetrators to turn themselves in, no arrests have been publicly announced in the years following her death. The case of Tyana Johnson's untimely and tragic death remains unresolved, a painful open wound for her loved ones and the community.
