On the evening of December 4, 2024, 27-year-old Celcei Neil Johnson was working at Budiman’s Smokeshop & Art Gallery on Cherry Road in Rock Hill, South Carolina, when a man entered and opened fire. Johnson was killed; a customer, 49-year-old Emad Thabet Saadalla, was also killed and a third person was wounded. Surveillance footage captured the shooting.

Police say the alleged shooter, 28-year-old Zachary East Elias of Columbia, had bought a psychedelic substance at the shop earlier that day, then returned later shirtless and yelling before firing an assault rifle at the four people inside. Elias fled in a silver Dodge truck; a pursuit ended when he crashed near the Highway 21 bridge over the Catawba River. Officers confronted him, discharged a weapon without striking him, and ultimately used a stun gun to subdue and arrest him.

Elias faces multiple charges including two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during a crime of violence. The community remembers Celcei Johnson as a daughter, sister, and friend who loved art and baking. Did anyone see Celcei at work that evening or have information about the events inside the shop?