In the early morning hours of September 2, 2023, a dispute in Anniston, Alabama, tragically cut short the life of James Delaneley Johnson. The 44-year-old Black male was fatally shot inside a residence in the 1500 block of East 11th Street. When officers from the Anniston Police Department arrived at the scene around 5:00 a.m., they discovered Johnson deceased.
Investigators determined that an altercation between Johnson and another individual, identified as 43-year-old Derrick Jerome
Mathews, had escalated to the point of gunfire. The confrontation ended with Johnson suffering a fatal wound. The circumstances leading up to the altercation have not been publicly detailed.
Following the shooting, law enforcement officials located and apprehended Derrick Jerome Mathews. He was subsequently arrested and has been charged with murder in connection with Johnson's death. After his arrest, Mathews was transported to the Calhoun County Jail to await bond proceedings.
James Delaneley Johnson was born in Anniston on June 5, 1979. A celebration of his life was held on September 16, 2023, allowing friends and family to mourn his passing. He is survived by his four children, his mother, a brother, and two sisters. The case against Derrick Jerome Mathews is pending in the court system.
