In the winter of 2015, the life of 19-year-old Alan Emanuel Johnson was tragically cut short in Knoxville, Tennessee. An African American male, Johnson had relocated to Knoxville from Boston, Massachusetts, to live with his father and brother in hopes of finding a safer environment. He was working at a local McDonald's and had plans to continue his education.
On the morning of December 13, 2015, Johnson was discovered by a neighbor in the front yard of a home on Woodbine Avenue, having
sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators believe he had been shot at a different location the previous night and had run to the Woodbine Avenue address before collapsing. His death was officially recorded as December 12, 2015. He was described by those who knew him as a kind, outgoing, and loving individual.
For over a year, the case remained under investigation until a breakthrough in February 2017. Knoxville police arrested 30-year-old Jeffery Stokes, charging him with first-degree murder and reckless endangerment in connection with Johnson's death. According to law enforcement, Stokes had ties to a gang and the shooting was a tragic case of mistaken identity. Investigators stated that Johnson was an innocent young man with no criminal record, who was simply walking home from his job when he was mistakenly targeted and killed.
