In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 13, 2021, Jean Lascelle, a 67-year-old Caucasian male, was outside a homeless shelter on Chestnut Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. At approximately 8:40 a.m., the quiet morning was shattered by the sound of a gunshot. Lascelle was struck in the head by a bullet and was discovered bleeding in front of the building.
Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his injury proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting immediately focused on identifying a suspect. Law enforcement officials identified 38-year-old Timothy Johnson as a person of interest in the case. An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson, charging him with second-degree murder. Authorities publicly announced that Johnson was considered armed and dangerous and advised the public not to approach him. It was believed that Johnson was on foot after he was last seen near the scene of the crime. The search for Johnson extended beyond New Hampshire as law enforcement agencies worked to locate and apprehend him.
Four days after the fatal shooting, on February 17, 2021, Timothy Johnson was located and arrested in Framingham, Massachusetts. He was taken into custody without incident and was initially charged with being a fugitive from justice. Following his arrest, Johnson fought his extradition back to New Hampshire to face the murder charge. After a lengthy legal process, he was extradited to New Hampshire in April 2022. Upon his return, he was formally charged with second-degree murder for knowingly causing the death of Jean Lascelle by shooting him. In addition to the murder charge, Johnson also faced a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
