On October 6, 2024, at approximately 2:30 a.m., 32-year-old Isaiah Hixon was fatally shot in a drive-by incident on the 900 block of Ash Street in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Two other individuals were also injured during the shooting; their identities have not been disclosed, but they are expected to survive.
Authorities, including Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees and District Attorney Greg Neugebauer, have indicated that Hixon was not the intended target of the attack, describing him as an "innocent bystander" who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Following an investigation, on November 13, 2024, Johnstown police arrested 23-year-old Jamil Quhir Branche in connection with the shooting. Branche faces multiple charges, including criminal homicide, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, carrying a firearm without a license, and recklessly endangering another person. Notably, Branche has a prior criminal record, having previously served prison time for shooting his father when he was 16 years old.
The arrest was the result of a thorough investigation that included the review of surveillance footage and the collection of forensic evidence. Authorities continue to encourage anyone with additional information about the incident to come forward to assist in the ongoing investigation.
