On the evening of December 15, 2013, which was also his 34th birthday, Anthony Levar Joyner, a Black male, was fatally shot while visiting a friend at the Douglass Homes housing project in Baltimore, Maryland. The incident unfolded when a man approached Joyner and opened fire, followed by an accomplice who also shot him multiple times before both fled the scene. Police officers who responded to the report of a shooting found Joyner with a gunshot wound to his head. He was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The subsequent investigation led police to identify two suspects, Antwon Johnson and his brother, Anthony Johnson. Witnesses identified Antwon as the first shooter and Anthony as the second. At the crime scene, investigators recovered shell casings of two different calibers, a knit hat, a glove, and a pair of headphones near Joyner's van. An autopsy later confirmed that Joyner had been shot four times with two different caliber bullets, with the fatal shot being to his head. One witness eventually came forward, stating that the motive for the killing was a $60 debt that Antwon Johnson owed to Joyner.
In April 2018, both Antwon and Anthony Johnson were indicted on charges including first-degree murder. Following a trial, a jury found Antwon Johnson guilty of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and possession of a regulated firearm by a prohibited person. He was acquitted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder. His brother, Anthony Johnson, was acquitted of all charges related to the murder but was already serving a lengthy sentence for other offenses. Antwon Johnson was ultimately sentenced to a total of 55 years in prison for his role in the death of Anthony Levar Joyner.
