In the cold of a February evening in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the life of Marcus Rashon Johnson, a 19-year-old Black man, was tragically cut short. On February 15, 2020, Johnson was found lying in the road near the intersection of North Kennard Street and Ross Avenue on the city's East Side, suffering from a fatal gunshot wound. First responders were called to the scene late that Saturday night, but Johnson was pronounced dead from blood loss due to his injuries.
He was remembered as an ambitious and joyful young man, a graduate of St. Agnes School who had started his own clothing line called Splash Supply and was an active volunteer at his church's kids ministry.
The events that led to his death began with a planned meeting. Johnson had been on his way to the Mall of America with his girlfriend when he stopped to sell marijuana, an exchange he had arranged via Snapchat. His girlfriend remained in the car as he went to meet the buyers. Shortly after he left, she heard gunshots. The meeting was a trap, set by three teenagers who intended to rob him. Johnson got into their vehicle, a stolen Toyota Corolla, where the situation escalated dramatically.
The investigation into the "absolutely senseless" killing, as described by the St. Paul Police Chief, moved quickly. Within days, three male suspects, aged 16, 17, and 18, were taken into custody. The subsequent charges revealed a robbery that had turned deadly. According to the criminal complaints, the two younger teenagers, 16-year-old Arthur A. McGraw and 17-year-old Rasheem S. Jones, were charged with second-degree murder.
During the robbery attempt inside the car, the teenagers pulled out their guns. It was reported that Johnson then revealed he also had a gun, at which point the suspects opened fire. One of the teens later admitted to police that he shot Johnson twice as he tried to get out of the car, and that the other suspect shot him once. After shooting him, they stole two bags of marijuana from him and fled the scene. The diligent work of the St. Paul Police Department, including patrol officers, investigators, and the SWAT team, led to the arrests and brought a measure of justice to Johnson's grieving family.
