MUNCIE, Ind. — An 18-year-old faces charges after police say he shot a 19-year-old before turning himself in to his parents.
A probable cause affidavit filed in the case against Justyn Johnson says the charges come after a March 20 shooting. The victim said he was walking with his brother and another juvenile when a vehicle parked on the other side of the road and three to four people got out and started shooting.
The victim’s mother told police that she got a message on Facebook shortly before the shooting. Police read the message, telling her to get her child before it was too late. The message came from an account belonging to Justyn Johnson.
Johnson later arrived at city hall with his father to, as his father told police, tell the truth about what happened, the document states.
While talking with Johnson, the document states, he told police that he was having trouble with a group due to a previous incident with his mother. He claimed the group has been targeting and threatening him.
The night of the shooting, the document states, Johnson told police he was picked up by a friend to go to another friend’s home. At the time, Johnson was carrying a handgun belonging to his mother.
When they got to the area of the shooting, the document states, Johnson claimed they heard a gunshot and saw a group of people walking in the street. He said that his friend stopped the car, and they got out and began shooting.
After the shooting, the document states, Johnson told police they went back to his home, and he told his parents what happened. When police asked Johnson about the Facebook message, he told police it was an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
The document notes that Johnson and his friend were in a moving vehicle and could have driven away from the situation. Instead, they parked, got out, and started shooting.
Johnson was taken into custody where he faces charges of aggravated battery and criminal recklessness.