Marcus Rashon Johnson, a 19-year-old Black man from Saint Paul, Minnesota, was found on February 15, 2020 near North Kennard Street and Ross Avenue on the city’s East Side with a fatal gunshot wound. First responders pronounced him dead; the medical finding was blood loss from his injuries. He had graduated from St. Agnes School, started a clothing line called Splash Supply, and volunteered in his church’s kids ministry.

His girlfriend stayed in the car; after he left she heard gunshots. The meeting was described as a setup by three teenagers who intended to rob him. Johnson got into a stolen Toyota Corolla with the teens, at which point guns were drawn. Complaints state Johnson produced a gun and the teens opened fire; one teen later admitted shooting Johnson twice as he tried to exit the car and another shot him once. The suspects then stole two bags of marijuana and fled.

Within days three males aged 16, 17, and 18 were taken into custody; the 16-year-old Arthur A. McGraw and the 17-year-old Rasheem S. Jones were charged with second-degree murder. The police chief called the killing absolutely senseless.