WATERLOO ā A chance meeting between Jada Young-Mills and LaSondra Johnson on a late night in November started off cordial, according to one woman who was there.
Johnson, 36, is charged with first-degree murder for firing the shot that killed Young-Mills, 27, on Nov. 14, 2020, following what prosecutors said was an argument over hair extensions that Young-Mills had sold months earlier.
Testimony in Johnsonās trial resumed Thursday with Shara Harrington, a longtime friend of Young-Mills, taking the stand and recounting what led up to the fatal shooting.
Harrington said it started with a girlsā night out with her, Young-Mills and a friend named Gloria Boldan. She drove, and they went out to eat at Applebeeās restaurant where they ate and had margaritas. After that, they went to the Briqhouse Bar and Grill.
Shortly before midnight, they pulled up at Harringtonās home on Sherman Avenue where they spotted Johnson parked outside. At the time, Johnson was dating Harringtonās brother, she said.
Harrington said she parked her car in the street and her friends climbed in Johnsonās vehicle.
According to Harringtonās account, the conversation was friendly. She talked to Johnson about a birthday present for a relative.
At some point, the discussion between Johnson and Young-Mills turned to hair.
āThey both started yelling,ā Harrington said. āThen LaSondra shoved Jada out of the car ā¦ She pushed her pretty hard because Jada got angry.ā
Johnson also exited the vehicle, and they started fighting, she said.
āThey both grabbed each other, pulled each other. They both had on wigs. Both of the wigs was pulled off. It was tussling, grabbed each other and rolling on the ground,ā Harrington said.
Harrington said she tried to pull the two apart and then got in an argument with her brother, telling him to get his girlfriend out of there.
She said Johnson than got back in her vehicle and a moment later fired a shot.
āI seen a flash from a gun,ā Harrington said.
She said she didnāt know where Young-Mills was at the time of the shot, and she didnāt know she had been shot until she saw Young-Mills bleeding inside her home.
āIt was like I was in a dream and couldnāt snap out of it,ā Harrington said. āI was traumatized, I was sad, I didnāt know what to do,ā she said.
The defense disputes the reason behind the argument and said Johnson, who had a permit to carry weapons, was acting in self defense and had intended to fire a warning shot.