Reginald Merisma, a 35-year-old man from Fort Lauderdale, died on June 7, 2026, after a late-night shooting in Lauderhill, Florida. The first calls brought Lauderhill police to the 900 block of Northwest 34th Terrace shortly after 10 p.m., where officers found Merisma lying in a residential driveway with a gunshot wound. Lauderhill Fire Rescue responded, but Merisma was pronounced dead at the scene.
What first appeared publicly as an isolated fatal shooting quickly became a murder
investigation centered on Anthony Johnson, also 35. Police said Johnson was the person who called 911 that night, reporting that someone at the scene was threatening people. While the call was still open, dispatchers reportedly heard loud banging, and Johnson allegedly told them, “I just shot him.” When officers arrived, Johnson remained at the scene, and investigators said all parties involved were accounted for.
According to police, surveillance video became a key part of the case. Investigators said the video showed Johnson arriving in a car, getting out from the passenger side, and moving quickly toward Merisma. Police described Merisma as having his hands raised as Johnson approached. Johnson allegedly fired and initially missed as Merisma tried to take cover near a trash can. Investigators said Johnson then closed the distance and shot Merisma once in the head.
Police said no firearm was found with Merisma. They described the shooting as targeted, though they had not publicly established how Johnson and Merisma knew each other or what motive may have led to the confrontation. Investigators also said several witnesses had not cooperated, leaving some parts of the encounter unclear. Johnson, after asking for an attorney, did not give investigators a statement.
Johnson was arrested the day after the shooting and booked into the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale. He was charged with first-degree premeditated murder. At his bond court appearance, a judge denied bond. His mother told the judge that her son was a good person and suggested the shooting “could have been prevented,” referencing bullying. A relative also claimed Merisma had made threats before and suggested the shooting was self-defense.
Despite those claims, police said they had enough evidence to arrest Johnson for first-degree premeditated murder. A former prosecutor not connected to the case said a Stand Your Ground defense appeared likely, given the defense claims being raised, but the police account placed significant weight on the surveillance footage, the 911 call, the lack of a weapon recovered with Merisma, and the allegation that Johnson fired again after Merisma had tried to hide behind the trash can. As of the latest available reporting, Johnson remained charged in a capital homicide case, with the court process still ahead.
