Case Description

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Summary based on 7 sources

Justin Johnson, a 28-year-old Black man from San Antonio, Texas, was a hardworking father and an aspiring musician. Known to some as J.J., he wrote songs from the heart about his life and dreamed of becoming a star. His mother, Bertha Moreno, said he had plans to one day buy her a house with money from his music career. After his own father passed away in October 2019, Justin promised he would come home and take care of his family. He was focused on that goal, working hard and always writing music. He leaves behind a young daughter, who was five years old at the time of his death.

On the night of July 17, 2020, Justin was on the city’s East Side in the 100 block of Nellina Street. His mother was with him when an altercation broke out between Justin and another man. According to Ms. Moreno, the fight had already been broken up and Justin was trying to calm down when the other man pulled out a gun. A single shot was fired. Ms. Moreno recalled feeling the bullet pass through her hair just before it struck her son.

San Antonio police responded to a call about the shooting at approximately 11:41 p.m. When officers arrived, they found Justin in the middle of the street with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother and neighbors tried to help him, but it was too late. Witnesses told investigators that an argument had taken place right before the shooting.

A suspect was located and arrested just a few blocks away from the scene, in the 100 block of Da Foste Avenue. Police identified him as 25-year-old Isaac Sandoval. He was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. Court records show his bond was set at $100,000.

In the days following Justin’s death, friends and community members built a memorial for him at the site of the shooting. His mother hopes his life will live on through his music and that a song he had just released might one day be played on the radio. As of August 2020, Isaac Sandoval remained in the Bexar County Jail awaiting legal proceedings for the murder charge.