On the evening of February 5, 2023, 24-year-old Marquis Tariq Johnson, a Black/African American man, was shot and killed following a confrontation in Mesa, Arizona. Around 9:40 p.m. near Mesa Drive and Brown Road, Johnson and a friend heard what they thought was a gunshot. A group of three males and one female then approached; an exchange of words turned physical. As Johnson’s friend tried to intervene, one male—later identified as 16-year-old Armando Medina—pulled a gun and pointed it at both men.

The group walked northbound and were followed by Johnson and his friend to the parking lot of an apartment complex at 1230 N Mesa Drive. Medina turned and fired several shots, striking Johnson. Mesa police arrived after multiple calls of shots fired; medical personnel pronounced Marquis Tariq Johnson dead at the scene at 10:05 p.m.

Detectives identified Medina and the female who had been with him. On February 8, 2023, officers detained three males in the area and arrested Armando Medina on charges including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a minor. If anyone witnessed the confrontation or has information about that night, please come forward.