In a recent court development, 16-year-old Derreon Johnson pleaded not guilty to the grave charges of second-degree murder and three counts of second-degree assault connected to a Skyway shooting. The devastating incident occurred on May 23rd, resulting in the tragic death of a 10-year-old girl, Anfa Abukar Mahamud, who was hit by a stray bullet while sleeping in her apartment at Creston Point Apartments. The girl died from her injuries on May 25th. Fox 13 Seattle reports that Johnson, at the time of the shooting, was out on electronic home monitoring following prior charges, including second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and second-degree motor vehicle theft.
At Monday’s arraignment, despite evidence such as surveillance footage and witness statements, Johnson’s attorney argued that it was uncertain who exactly fired the shots that killed the child. According to FOX 13 Seattle, "People that were present identified him later." Another court document suggests witnesses claimed Johnson bragged about striking a "little girl." The family, deeply influenced by the tragedy, are moving away from Skyway and the complex associated with their daughter's death. The young victim's father reminisced about the horrific moment the bullet pierced the wall, striking his daughter as she and her siblings slept. The police drew pistols pointed, and the neighbors experienced an adjoining commotion on the night of the incident. Neighbors reported that they didn't initially respond to the gunshots, considering them usual for the area, until they sensed the turmoil caused by the little girl's injury.
With King County witnessing a surge in violent felonies among the youth, the 57% increase from 2022 and a staggering 146% increase from 2021 paints a disturbing picture, as King County data indicates. The case against Johnson also includes the assertion that a month after the shooting, Johnson discharged a firearm multiple times during a dispute on June 22, a claim backed by the finding of two pistols during a search warrant of an apartment connected to him, reports KOMO News.
The judge, at Johnson's arraignment, instructed that he is to have no contact with the victim’s family or the Creston Point Apartments, setting his bond at $2 million. As KING 5 reports, his next court appearance is scheduled for the end of September, with the trial set to begin on October 28.
