Joquese Loyd, 15, female, was killed on April 26, 2008, in Minneapolis during an argument that unfolded inside the home of 29-year-old Shaunell Arrice Johnson. Accounts preserved by advocates describe a chaotic scene among acquaintances in the living room, where witnesses said Joquese tried to get Johnson’s attention by waving a kitchen knife at him. Johnson cocked a handgun, pulled the trigger, then pulled it again; a single round struck Joquese in the chest.
Responding officers found her collapsed on the living-room floor.
Investigators identified Johnson as the shooter and built a case that also revolved around two other people who were present, one of whom was legally blind and another who had recently fought with the victim over affections linked to Johnson. Despite defense efforts to shift blame to another person in the room, a Hennepin County jury convicted Johnson of second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter. He appealed, challenging his lawyer’s strategy and several evidentiary rulings, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions, leaving the jury’s verdict intact.
The record reflects that Johnson—described in contemporary summaries as Joquese’s older partner—was the sole person arrested and prosecuted for the killing. There is no indication in court or advocacy materials that any other suspects were charged. The advocacy account that first named him as the shooter aligns with the appellate decision, which confirms that officers found Joquese shot once in the chest at Johnson’s residence and that his convictions were upheld, closing the case against him.
