In the late hours of a summer night in New Orleans, the lives of two brothers, including 24-year-old Ryan Johnson, were tragically cut short. On July 31, 2016, Ryan, a male, and his older brother, Joshua Johnson, were found inside their car at the intersection of Pauger and North Miro streets. Both had been shot multiple times and were pronounced dead at the scene, the vehicle they were in still running.
The brothers were related to reality television personality Toya Wright.
The initial investigation into the double homicide left the community searching for answers. Witnesses reported hearing a loud argument just before the gunshots rang out, shattering the midnight quiet. Neighbors saw people yelling at the occupants of a dark SUV, and moments later, the sound of gunfire sent people scrambling for cover. When the scene grew quiet again, the two brothers were discovered, their lives taken in a senseless act of violence. For a time, no suspects or motives were publicly identified, leaving their family and the city to grapple with the brutal killings.
The case gained significant attention, and eventually, a suspect was identified and apprehended. Antoine 'Tweezy' Edwards was arrested in March 2017 in connection with the murders. Investigators pieced together a narrative suggesting the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a drug transaction. Prosecutors argued that Edwards was angered because the Johnson brothers had gone to the front door of a house he used for selling drugs instead of the back, leading to the fatal confrontation. In September 2019, a jury found Antoine Edwards guilty of two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Ryan and Joshua Johnson. Following his conviction, Edwards was sentenced to mandatory life in prison, bringing a measure of justice to a case that had deeply affected the New Orleans community.
