DeAngelo Johnson was a young man with a bright future, described by those who knew him as having faith, intelligence, and a good heart. In 2019, at age 22, he was a senior at the University of Illinois-Chicago, studying criminology and maintaining a GPA of over 3.0. He was active in his community through programs where he played basketball, participated in a Bible study group, and found a passion for mentoring younger people.
DeAngelo, a 27-year-old male, believed it was a blessing to be able to share the knowledge he had gained with the next generation. His life, full of promise and purpose, was tragically cut short alongside his mother, 47-year-old Angela Johnson.
The night of Thursday, September 24, 2026, ended in violence inside a home in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on the West Side. At approximately 10:43 p.m., a witness in the 800 block of North Parkside Avenue heard the sound of gunshots erupting from the basement of a residence and immediately called 911. According to family members, the gunfire was the culmination of a violent domestic confrontation involving Angela Johnson and her boyfriend. They said that DeAngelo stepped in to shield and protect his mother from the attack.
When Chicago police officers arrived at the home, they discovered a devastating scene. Angela was found in the basement with a gunshot wound, while DeAngelo was located on the first floor of the house, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. It appeared his final moments were spent trying to save his mother’s life. Paramedics rushed both mother and son to Mount Sinai Hospital, but their injuries were too severe. Both Angela and DeAngelo Johnson were pronounced dead.
The police investigation began immediately at the scene. Investigators recovered two firearms as well as approximately 23 shell casings from inside the residence. The response was swift, and officers took a suspect into custody on the block at 10:48 p.m., just minutes after the initial 911 call. The man was identified as 36-year-old Wendy Baptisme. Authorities confirmed that Baptisme lived on the same block and was known to the victims; family and news reports identified him as Angela Johnson’s boyfriend.
Two days after the shooting, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office filed charges against Baptisme. He was charged with two felony counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of DeAngelo and Angela Johnson. An autopsy conducted by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that DeAngelo died from multiple gunshot wounds, while his mother died from a gunshot wound to her arm. Baptisme was scheduled to appear for a detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Sunday, September 27, 2026.
The loss of two generations of a single family in one night left loved ones heartbroken. DeAngelo Johnson was remembered not only for the life he lived but for the heroic way he died, defending his mother. As of late September 2026, the criminal case against Wendy Baptisme was proceeding through the Cook County court system. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
