On a late spring morning in West Philadelphia, the life of Aaron Johnson was brought to a violent and sudden end. It was around 11:45 a.m. on May 28, 2014, on the 1300 block of Frazier Street, when the sound of multiple gunshots shattered the day's calm. Responding police officers arrived to a grim scene, finding Johnson on the ground, having sustained two gunshot wounds.
Medical examiners would later determine that one bullet entered his back, striking his left lung and aorta, proving to be the fatal shot. The other entered his hip. His death was officially ruled a homicide.
The events leading to Johnson's death unfolded rapidly. Witnesses saw a man, later identified as Braheem Owens, shoot Johnson. Immediately after the shooting, Owens jumped into a waiting Nissan Maxima driven by Lanier James. The vehicle sped away from the scene, initiating a police pursuit. A few blocks from the site of the shooting, both James and Owens abandoned the car and attempted to flee on foot. Their bid for freedom was short-lived, however, as police quickly apprehended them. A crucial piece of evidence was recovered when James was captured; he was in possession of a firearm that matched the six cartridge casings found at the scene of the crime.
The ensuing legal process brought the two men to trial. A jury trial commenced on May 19, 2015. During the proceedings, Braheem Owens testified, though he denied knowing Aaron Johnson. The jury ultimately rendered its verdict, finding Lanier James not guilty of the most severe charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy. However, he was convicted on other serious charges, including carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a firearm in a public place in Philadelphia, possession of an instrument of a crime, and fleeing or attempting to elude police. For his role in the events of that tragic day, Lanier James was sentenced to a term of six to twelve years of imprisonment, followed by seven years of probation.
