In the autumn of 2020, Jaleel Delayne Ra'masie Jamel Johnson, a 20-year-old Black / African American man, was navigating his young life in Bloomington, Illinois. Born in the neighboring town of Normal, Jaleel was a father to a young son, Elyon, and shared his life with his significant other, Rose Murphy. He was known as an "awesome father" who had played both football and basketball in high school and enjoyed playing video games. Working as a concrete laborer, he was building a life for his family.
The afternoon of Monday, October 12, 2020, shattered that life. On the west side of Bloomington, outside a residence in the 1600 block of Iowa Street, violence erupted. Shots were fired, and when the chaos subsided, Jaleel had sustained a single, fatal gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at 4:31 p.m. at OSF St. Joseph's Medical Center. Two other young men, one 22 and the other 27, were also shot and seriously injured in the incident but survived.
The Bloomington Police Department began an investigation that would uncover a story of retaliation. The roots of the shooting traced back to two days earlier, on October 10, when Terrell Moon, the brother of one of the eventual suspects, was involved in a fight at a house party in Bloomington. In response, his brother, Malcolm J. Johnson of Riverdale, traveled from the Chicago area to Bloomington, meeting up with Kevon Moon and his brother, James Moon. Evidence gathered by investigators, including social media videos from just two days before the shooting, showed Kevon and James Moon holding the same models of Glock handguns that were later determined to be the weapons used in the attack. In the videos, the brothers referred to the firearms as "Twin Glocks."
The investigation led to charges being filed in March 2021 against Malcolm Johnson, Kevon Moon, and James Moon. The process of bringing them to justice was methodical. Malcolm Johnson was already in custody at the McLean County Jail on an unrelated matter when he was served with the murder warrant. A U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force apprehended Kevon Moon in Lafayette, Indiana, on March 31, 2021. However, James Moon evaded capture and remains a fugitive, considered armed and dangerous.
In May 2024, a McLean County jury found both Malcolm J. Johnson, then 31, and Kevon Moon, 25, guilty of a string of charges, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, mob action, and obstruction of justice. The following summer, their sentences were handed down by Judge William Yoder. Malcolm Johnson received a 123-year prison sentence for his role in the killing. Shortly after, Kevon Moon was sentenced to 103 years behind bars.
While two of the men responsible for Jaleel Johnson's death are now imprisoned for what will likely be the remainder of their lives, the case is not fully closed. A warrant for murder, mob action, and other charges remains active for James Moon, whose bond is set at $3 million. The life of a young father and construction worker was cut short in a burst of gunfire on an autumn afternoon. His family held a visitation on October 23, 2020, grappling with a future without their son, partner, father, and friend. For the community and the justice system, a final chapter in the death of Jaleel Johnson awaits the day the last suspect is found.
