On what should have been a joyous celebration, James Johnson, a 30-year-old Black man from McKeesport, was fatally shot in the back on his birthday, June 17, 2010. The tragic event unfolded on the front porch of a residence in the 800 block of Ross Avenue in Wilkinsburg, where a party was being held in his honor. The celebration turned into a scene of chaos and sorrow at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Earlier in the evening, a heated argument had taken place on the porch involving several
individuals. A young man, later identified as 20-year-old Tariq Taliaferro of Wilkinsburg, had been part of this dispute and left the scene shortly after. He would soon return, tragically altering the course of the evening and ending a life. In a harrowing turn of events, an 8-month-old boy who was also on the porch was grazed by a bullet.
According to a witness, Danike Smith, who was attending the party with her infant son, Taliaferro came back to the porch and began shooting. Johnson was struck in the back, and as he lay bleeding, his immediate concern was for others as he urged Smith to call for help. Smith's son sustained grazing wounds to his shoulder and the back of his head but thankfully survived the ordeal after being treated and released from a local hospital. James Johnson was rushed to UPMC Presbyterian, but his life could not be saved.
The investigation quickly pointed to Tariq Taliaferro as the primary suspect. He was initially questioned by police and released. However, an arrest warrant was issued, and he turned himself in to Allegheny County Police the following day. Taliaferro was subsequently charged with homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and firearm violations.
During a preliminary hearing in August 2010, Danike Smith provided her eyewitness account of the shooting. Based on her testimony and other evidence presented, a district judge ordered Tariq Taliaferro to stand trial for the murder of James Johnson.
