Dontya Shamar Johnson, a 41-year-old Black man from Muskegon, Michigan, had his life taken on a Sunday morning in the spring of 2020. The fatal incident occurred in Lansing, where an encounter turned deadly and launched a swift police investigation.
On May 3, 2020, at approximately 11:36 a.m., officers with the Lansing Police Department were dispatched to an apartment complex on the 2300 block of East Jolly Road following a report of a shooting.
When they arrived at the scene, they found Dontya Johnson deceased. He had suffered what appeared to be a fatal gunshot wound.
Investigators quickly began working the case and soon arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with the shooting. Authorities stated that they did not believe the killing was a random act and assured the community that there was no further danger to the public.
The suspect was identified as Damien Levar Williamson Jr. The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office charged him with one count of open murder and one count of felony firearm for his alleged role in Dontya Johnson's death. Williamson was denied bond and scheduled for a probable cause hearing on May 15, 2020, with a preliminary examination set for May 21.
As of May 2020, the investigation into the shooting remained open. Police encouraged anyone with information to come forward by contacting Detective Sergeant Shawn McNamara at 517-483-6840, the Lansing Police Department at 517-483-4600, or Crime Stoppers at 517-483-7867. Tips could also be submitted through a private message to the department's Facebook page or the MobilePD app.
