Mark Johnson Jr, 35, of Richmond, California, was fatally shot on April 12, 2018, at about 9:40 a.m. at South 15th Street and Maine Avenue. His death was the third homicide in Richmond that week, after a period of comparatively low violence since the previous November.

Richmond police identified Vernon Lamont Dowell Jr, 40, of Richmond, as the primary suspect. Dowell was arrested and charged with murder; prosecutors included enhancements for personal use of a firearm. Records in the case note Dowell’s prior manslaughter conviction from a plea deal after a 2000 charge in the death of Charles Ray Pearson.

The community reacted to both the killing and the arrest with concern about recurring gun violence and hopes for justice for Mark Johnson Jr and his family. Does anyone have information about Johnson’s life in Richmond or the events near South 15th Street and Maine Avenue that morning?