Johnny Jermaine Johnson, 43, was shot and killed around 1:30 a.m. on November 7, 2021, near his club, Dior’s Bar and Lounge, at 141 N. Front St. in Wilmington, North Carolina. Officers arrived on Chestnut Street, near the establishment, provided aid, but Johnson died of his wound.

Johnson was a local nightclub owner and promoter who had moved to Wilmington from the New York metro area. He opened the club during the pandemic after receiving a settlement from a wrongful prosecution; he had spent 17 years in prison before being released and later focused on a musical business career and charitable work. His death was widely mourned by the community.

The Wilmington Police Department arrested two men, 25-year-old Quajon Canty and 22-year-old Naulege Johnson, charging them with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Investigators say surveillance video, cell phone data and ballistics tied the suspects to the shooting, and authorities reported plans to rob Johnson of jewelry when he walked to his vehicle after the club closed.

If anyone saw activity near Dior’s Bar and Lounge that night or has information that hasn’t been shared with investigators, please come forward.