In Las Vegas, Nevada, a holiday gathering turned into a scene of unimaginable tragedy, forever altering the lives of a family. Six-year-old Giuliana Johnson, a young girl, was at a rental home with her family to celebrate Thanksgiving. On November 29, 2020, what should have been a joyous time was shattered by the sound of a single gunshot.
Earlier that day, Giuliana's grandfather, David Walter Johnson II, was watching television with his grandchildren. He had two handguns, a.
380-caliber semiautomatic and a Glock 19, which he hid in the couch before going upstairs to take a phone call. While he was away, his 2-year-old grandson found one of the loaded weapons. The toddler tragically discharged the firearm, striking his older sister, Giuliana. When the grandfather heard the shot and rushed back downstairs, he found his grandson holding the gun and Giuliana lying on the ground. She was pronounced dead at the scene from a perforating gunshot wound to the chest.
In the aftermath of the devastating incident, an investigation was launched. It was revealed that the family had previous allegations of neglect with child protective services. Initially, the grandfather, David Johnson, reported that his granddaughter had shot herself. However, he later admitted to leaving the loaded handguns unsecured in the couch. As a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for David Walter Johnson II on April 6, 2021, on two counts of child abuse and one count of child abuse resulting in substantial bodily harm. The charges stemmed from his failure to secure the firearms, leaving them accessible to the children.
David Johnson later pleaded guilty to child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. He was sentenced to two days in the Clark County Detention Center, with credit for time already served. In addition to the criminal charges, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against him by his ex-wife. The lawsuit alleged that his negligence in failing to take reasonable steps to secure his loaded firearm from the minor children in the home directly led to the fatal shooting of his granddaughter.
