On the evening of September 5, 2022, a fatal encounter unfolded in a Sioux Falls, South Dakota apartment, culminating in the death of 26-year-old Kaisean Marcell Tyler. The tragic events began when Darrian Lamar Johnson, 38, arrived at his ex-girlfriend's residence in the 1200 block of North Prairie Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. to retrieve some of his belongings.
Upon entering the apartment, Johnson discovered Tyler in the bedroom with his former girlfriend.
An altercation quickly erupted between the two men, escalating from punches to gunfire. Johnson produced a handgun and shot Tyler. After Tyler collapsed, Johnson fired three more shots into his back. The ex-girlfriend, who witnessed the horrific event, hid under a blanket. She later told investigators that Johnson had previously threatened to kill any man he found at her apartment.
Following the shooting, Johnson fled the scene, but his ex-girlfriend's testimony helped police swiftly identify him as the suspect. In the early morning hours of September 6, the Sioux Falls Police Department, with the assistance of a SWAT team, located and arrested Johnson at another apartment in the 700 block of West Rice Street without incident. The firearm used in the shooting was not immediately recovered. At the time of the incident, Johnson was on parole for drug-related offenses and had a history of domestic violence charges.
Darrian Johnson was subsequently charged with first-degree murder. In May 2025, following a multi-day trial that included testimony from several witnesses, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder. In addition to the murder conviction, Johnson was also found guilty of assault against a woman in the days preceding the shooting, as well as burglary and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
