Mother of Uptown shooting victim’s plea to killer: ‘Turn yourself in’
Family, friends, and victim’s advocates stood on an Uptown street corner in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening where 21-year-old Vintrez Lamont Johnson was fatally shot on Friday night.
The group met to raise awareness about the fatal shooting in hopes a tipster comes forward to catch his killer.
“It’s about all of us, not one person, a village that needs to come together and stand and get our children back in order because they killing people for no reason,” said Cynthia Johnson, Vintrez’s mother. “My son didn’t deserve to die over a video.”
Cynthia Johnson said her son danced in videos and feels that could be why he was shot.
“I would like you to come forward,” Cynthia Johnson said. “Vintrez didn’t deserve to die on this corner. Y’all chased him down. I’m upset. I’m in pain.”
Volunteers from A Mother’s Love Initiative, a well-established community group that supports victims of violence, were by Johnson’s side.
Johnson used to be a volunteer with the group and helped other families who experienced the pain from crime. Now she is being helped by members of that group.
MPD said the victim was outside a building when he was shot on Friday night.
Then about 48 hours later on Sunday night, more gunfire erupted that damaged buildings and cars. Two women were also injured by shards of shattered glass, according to police.
A vigil was reportedly being held for Friday’s homicide victim when the shots were fired, police said. It’s unclear whether Sunday’s incident is connected to the shooting two days earlier.
The victim’s family has set up a fundraising page to help with his burial.