A Charlotte man arrested after a 2023 north Charlotte shooting that killed 19-year-old Ja’Kez Kyiesh Johnson has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 157 to 201 months in prison, according to local reporting. The gunfire on Curtiswood Drive in July 2023 shook the neighborhood and kept Johnson’s family waiting through a slow court process. This new sentence resolves the adult defendant’s case, but the path forward for the juvenile charged alongside him is still murky.
The shooting and arrests
On July 8, 2023, officers responding to an "assault with a deadly weapon" call in the 5000 block of Curtiswood Drive found Johnson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to a case update from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. MEDIC took Johnson to Atrium Health Main, where he died two days later, the department reported.
Investigators with CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team arrested Emanuel Isaac Parada (DOB Nov. 30, 2003) and a 15-year-old on July 13. Both were charged with murder in connection with the shooting, according to the department’s account of the case.
From arrest to plea
When Parada was first taken into custody, he also faced accusations tied to a stolen gun and drugs, with additional counts including possession of a stolen firearm and drug offenses, as reported by WBTV. The case stayed active for months while investigators and prosecutors prepared to move ahead.
During that time, family members and neighbors spoke with reporters about mourning Johnson and urged anyone who knew more about the shooting to come forward.
Guilty plea and sentence
On June 15, 2026, Charlotte Alerts News reported that Parada pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a prison term of 157 to 201 months, which works out to roughly 13 to 16 years behind bars. The outlet also noted that it was not clear whether the 15-year-old co-defendant would enter a plea.
As of publication, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s online news page did not show any release about the case, according to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney.
Where the sentence fits
The 157 to 201 month term, roughly 13 to 16¾ years, sits within a range the DA’s office has used in other second-degree murder plea deals in recent years. For instance, a March 2026 DA news release lists multiple defendants receiving 157 to 201 month sentences after pleading to second-degree murder, according to the office’s reporting in a DA news release. Sentences in homicide cases can still vary quite a bit, depending on the facts presented and the judge’s discretion.
What’s next
The juvenile charged alongside Parada remains in the juvenile system, and, according to reporting, it has not been made public whether that youth will enter a plea. CMPD has kept the investigation listed as active.
Detectives previously asked anyone with information about the July 2023 shooting to call CMPD’s homicide tip line at 704-432-TIPS or share details anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600, according to the department’s case update.
