Man suspected of killing 15-year-old in East Isles neighborhood now in custody
Antonio Lamar Brooks Jr. mugshot. Credit: Hennepin County Jail
UPDATE 8/11/23 – Court records show a man charged in connection to a teenage girls’ death earlier this summer in Minneapolis has a court hearing scheduled for Friday afternoon after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Thursday.
According to Hennepin County court records, 18-year-old Antonio Lamar Brooks Jr. has a first appearance scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The court website shows the warrant for Brooks was served Friday.
Brooks is charged with second-degree unintentional murder in connection to the death of 15-year-old Ka’Maih Emauri Johnson, who was fatally shot on July 17 near 25 1/2 Street West and Girard Avenue South.
If convicted, Brooks faces up to 40 years in prison.
A previous version of this report can be found below.
INITIAL REPORT 8/10/23 – An 18-year-old has been charged in connection to a teenage girl’s death last month in Minneapolis’s East Isles neighborhood.
Minneapolis police say officers were notified of the shooting near 25½ Street West and Girard Avenue South at around 1:30 a.m. on July 17. There, they found a 15-year-old girl suffering from a gunshot wound. First aid was provided but the girl, identified as Ka’Maih Emauri Johnson, died at the scene.
Charging documents filed Thursday state that Antonio Lamar Brooks Jr., from Bloomington, is now charged with second-degree murder for Johnson’s death.
RELATED: 15-year-old girl killed in East Isles neighborhood shooting
A witness told investigators she and Johnson had been driving around with three boys when Brooks texted her to meet up, the documents state. Brooks then pulled up in a white SUV and, after briefly laughing and joking with each other, he threatened to shoot everyone.
The criminal complaint states that the witness didn’t think much of it, saying Brooks had made similar comments in the past but never followed through. However, a gunshot was then heard and the witness jumped out of the car she was in and both the car and the SUV sped off.
The boys later told her that Johnson was shot and they thought she was at a hospital so they came and picked the witness up after Brooks dropped the gun off somewhere and then dropped her off at a hospital.
The complaint adds that Brooks apologized to the witness for the shooting but then deactivated his Facebook account and blocked the witness’s phone number and other social media accounts.
Three others who were in the vehicle Johnson was in gave similar accounts, with one adding that Brooks was smiling and didn’t appear angry and Johnson was laughing and running away when the gunshot was fired.
As of Thursday, Brooks wasn’t in custody and had been charged via warrant. He faces up to 40 years in prison, if convicted.