In what began as a neighborhood disagreement over a parking spot, Anthony 'TJ' Cunningham, a 46-year-old male, was fatally shot on February 18, 2019, in Aurora, Colorado. The dispute with his neighbor, 31-year-old Marcus Johnson, had been ongoing for some time. The two men, who lived across the street from each other, had been arguing via text message before deciding to meet in a school parking lot to physically settle their differences.
Cunningham, accompanied by his brother, went to
the athletic fields behind Eaglecrest High School on a Sunday morning to, as they had agreed, 'box it out' with Johnson. The verbal argument continued when they met, with both men exchanging insults. The situation escalated tragically when Johnson produced a handgun and shot Cunningham multiple times. A passerby first called 911 to report the shooting, and shortly after, Johnson himself contacted the police, admitting to having shot his neighbor.
Following his call to the police, Marcus Johnson returned to his home, which was just a few blocks from the scene of the shooting. He informed the authorities that the gun was in his car and was taken into custody without incident. Cunningham was rushed to a local hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Johnson was initially charged with attempted murder, but the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder following Cunningham's death. He was later found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
At the time of his death, Cunningham was the assistant principal at Hinkley High School and was a beloved figure in the community. A graduate of Overland High School, he had been a football star at the University of Colorado and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, playing for them briefly in 1996 before his career was cut short by injuries. He was married and a father to five daughters. The Aurora Public Schools system, where he was an administrator, expressed deep sadness over the loss and provided grief counselors for students and staff.
