In the late hours of a Monday in May, the community of Mon View Heights in West Mifflin was shattered by violence. Thomas Johnson, a 45-year-old African American man from Duquesne, was in an area of the apartment complex known as 'the tunnel,' a space between two buildings, when he was fatally shot. The incident occurred around 11:18 p.m., and when emergency responders arrived, they found Johnson in a nearby yard with gunshot wounds to his head and face.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the death of Thomas Johnson quickly led Allegheny County Police to a suspect. An arrest warrant was issued for 37-year-old Daymond 'Day Day' Wiggins. According to police, Wiggins approached Johnson in the tunnel and fired multiple shots. A witness to the event reportedly drew their own firearm and returned fire at Wiggins before fleeing the scene. The motive for the shooting was not immediately made clear by investigators.
Following the issuance of the arrest warrant, Daymond Wiggins was charged with criminal homicide and carrying a firearm without a license. His prior criminal history included a guilty plea to aggravated assault, which made it illegal for him to possess a firearm. Police in Indiana later apprehended Wiggins during a traffic stop.
