Lashonda Nix, aged 40, was tragically shot and killed on December 19, 2022, at her home in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. The incident occurred in the 600 block of Cook Avenue East. According to court documents, the suspect, Curtrez D. Johnson, aged 41, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death. Johnson allegedly knocked on Nix's door that evening and shot her in the head when she pulled the shade aside to see who was there.
The motive
behind the shooting appears to be linked to an earlier incident involving Nix and Johnson's 18-year-old son, who had been shot in the face at the same residence on December 13, 2022. Witnesses reported that Johnson was upset about his son's injury and believed Nix was somehow responsible. On the night of the shooting, Nix's other son, who was upstairs playing games, heard three loud bangs on the door and saw his mother get shot when she peeked through the curtain.
Investigators used surveillance footage and cell phone data to place Johnson in the area at the time of the shooting. He was arrested on December 27, 2022, while shopping with his mother at the Sunray Shopping Center. During an interview with police, Johnson denied killing Nix or hearing any gunshots while in the area. Court records indicate that Johnson has a history of felony convictions, including multiple domestic assaults and first-degree criminal damage to property.
In September 2023, Johnson was convicted of second-degree intentional murder and illegal possession of a firearm. He was subsequently sentenced to 35 years in prison, with an expected 25½ years to be served in prison and the remainder on supervised release. This tragic incident marked the 39th homicide in Saint Paul in 2022, setting a new record for the city.
