A native of Detroit, Michigan, Terrance Andrew Johnson was a dedicated family man and a respected figure in his community. The 47-year-old Black man had built a life in Jacksonville, Florida, after moving from his hometown, where he had graduated from Redford Township High School. For over two decades, he worked in the construction industry, employed with Magnum Painting. He was a husband to Nichole W. Stephens-Johnson and a father to seven children: Dalisa Brown, Amethyst Johnson, Terrance Andrew Johnson, Jr., Jatoria Jones, Kendyl Johnson, Brandon Stephens, and Kamryn Stephens. His loved ones, including his parents, Pastor C. Dianne Robinson and Theodore Wesley Johnson, and his siblings, remembered him as a guiding presence, with one relative recalling him as the "best 'Big Brother' I could ever have."
The night of Tuesday, January 8, 2013, shattered his family’s world.
In the Moncrief Park neighborhood of Jacksonville, residents near the 1300 block of West 21st Street heard the sound of several gunshots. Around that time, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the area to investigate reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they discovered Terrance Johnson lying unresponsive in the road. He lived about ten blocks from where he was found.
Emergency rescue teams were called to the scene, and Johnson was rushed to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The cause of death was later confirmed to be from the gunshots he sustained. The initial police report noted he was a Black male in his mid-to-late 40s. His identity was publicly confirmed two days later, on Thursday, January 10, 2013.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, neighbors gathered near the police tape, expressing their shock and concern over the violence that had erupted in their community. "It's a shame, really. It's really a shame because you got people out here," one resident, Wilbert Staten, told a local news channel. "You've got children that play in this neighborhood and you've got so many churches around in the neighborhood, too." The area where Johnson was found was a residential street, adding to the community's sense of unease.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office immediately began a homicide investigation. Detectives canvassed the neighborhood, going door-to-door to gather information and talk to as many potential witnesses as possible. At the time, police stated they had no suspects in custody and had not determined a motive for the shooting. They urged anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, to come forward and help them piece together the events that led to Johnson's death.
A funeral service for Terrance Andrew Johnson was held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 19, 2013, at Zarephath Tabernacle, with Bishop James Brant, Jr. officiating. He was laid to rest in Gethsemane Memorial Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, his family requested that contributions be made to the Terrance A. Johnson Memorial Fund established at Wells Fargo Bank, a testament to the community support that surrounded them during their time of grief.
As of the latest available information from January 2013, the investigation into Terrance Johnson's murder remains open and unsolved. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The case has grown cold, leaving his family and community without answers or justice. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information that could help solve this case to call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.
