In the summer of 2015, a burst of gunfire shattered the evening calm outside the Boys & Girls Club on Genesee Street in Rochester, New York, leaving a scene of chaos and tragedy. On August 19th, 25-year-old Johnny Johnson was among a crowd of people who had just enjoyed a community basketball game. In an instant, the celebratory atmosphere turned to one of horror as a vehicle drove by and unleashed a hail of bullets.
When the shooting stopped, Johnson and two other young men, 19-year-old Raekwon Manigault and 17-year-old Jonah Barley, lay dead. Four other individuals were wounded in the indiscriminate attack.
The investigation into the mass shooting quickly pointed to a violent outburst of gang-related activity. Authorities identified three primary suspects who were allegedly inside the vehicle from which the shots were fired: Johnny Blackshell Jr., Jalen Everett, and Michael Mathis Jr. The prosecution's case suggested that the shooting was connected to a gang known as the 'Maroon Goons,' and that the assailants had targeted a rival group. The weapon used in the commission of the crime was identified as an AK-47 assault rifle, from which over 20 rounds were fired into the crowd.
The legal aftermath of the Genesee Street shooting was complex and drawn out, with varying outcomes for the three men charged. Johnny Blackshell Jr., identified as the gunman, was convicted in June 2016 on three counts of first-degree murder, as well as multiple assault and weapons charges. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In a separate federal case, Blackshell also pleaded guilty to charges related to a robbery that occurred shortly before the shooting and received an additional prison sentence.
The cases against Jalen Everett and Michael Mathis Jr. took different paths. Everett was initially convicted of second-degree murder for his role in the shooting. However, that verdict was dramatically overturned by a judge due to allegations of juror misconduct. In a subsequent retrial in January 2017, Everett was acquitted of all charges. Tragically, in an unrelated incident in May 2019, Jalen Everett was shot and killed. Michael Mathis Jr., the third suspect, was also acquitted of all charges in connection with the Genesee Street shooting. Another man, Quartermaine Titus, was arrested for firing a weapon at the scene, but it was determined that he was firing at the vehicle from which the fatal shots originated and was not one of the primary assailants.
