Azsia Johnson

Azsia Johnson, a 20-year-old Black woman and aspiring pediatric nurse, was a mother of two young children. On the evening of June 29, 2022, she was pushing her three-month-old infant daughter in a stroller on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. As she walked near the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 95th Street, a figure dressed entirely in black approached her from behind. The individual, wearing a ski mask, fired a single shot at point-blank range, striking Johnson in the head before fleeing the scene on foot. First responders rushed Johnson to Metropolitan Hospital, but she died from her injuries about an hour later. Her baby was found in the stroller, physically unharmed.

The investigation quickly determined the shooting was not random and focused on Johnson’s ex-boyfriend and the baby's father, 22-year-old Isaac Argro. Detectives learned that just before the attack, Johnson had sent text messages to a family member stating she was meeting Argro that evening to “work things out” and had shared her location just in case. Her mother later revealed that her daughter had been a victim of domestic violence and had previously reported an incident to police in which Argro allegedly assaulted her while she was pregnant. At the time of her death, Johnson was living in a domestic violence shelter to keep herself safe.

Two days after the shooting, on July 1, 2022, members of an NYPD task force arrested Isaac Argro. Prosecutors described the killing as a “premeditated execution,” stating that Argro had lured Johnson to the location under the false pretense of giving her items for their daughter, but he arrived without them. After the shooting, Argro allegedly called Johnson’s family to ask where his daughter was and threatened another family member, saying they were “next.” He was indicted on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Argro pleaded not guilty to the charges and was held without bail. Following a trial, a New York State Supreme Court jury convicted him on all counts on May 28, 2026. The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. On July 14, 2026, Isaac Argro was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.