Dwayne P. Johnson Sr., a 56-year-old Black/African American male, tragically lost his life on January 26, 2022, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Known for his kind-hearted nature, Johnson’s death occurred when he stepped in to mediate an argument between a young couple. The incident unfolded outside a school building on the city's north side where he attempted to de-escalate a heated dispute.
The confrontation turned fatal when one of the individuals in the argument, 17-year-old Isaiah
Wheeler, opened fire on Johnson. Wheeler shot Johnson six times, with four of the shots being fired after he had already collapsed to the ground. A neighbor's front-porch camera captured the entire tragic event, and this footage would later become a critical piece of evidence.
Following the shooting, Isaiah Wheeler was arrested and charged with second-degree intentional homicide. During his trial, Wheeler claimed he acted in self-defense, believing that Johnson was reaching for a weapon. However, the video evidence presented by the prosecution contradicted his account. The trial also brought to light that Wheeler had a prior juvenile conviction for firearm possession. In August 2023, a Milwaukee County jury found Isaiah Wheeler guilty of the charge, leading to his sentencing in the death of Dwayne P. Johnson Sr.
