18-year-old charged with fatally shooting girl, 15, near Lake of the Isles last month

Antonio L. Brooks Jr. "is not in custody, and his current whereabouts are unknown," the criminal complaint read.

August 10, 2023 at 10:49PM
Friends and relatives mourn the shooting death of Ka’Maih Emauri Johnson on July 17 in south Minneapolis. (Louis Krauss, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Prosecutors decided not to wait until an arrest was made and charged an 18-year-old from Bloomington on Thursday with fatally shooting a 15-year-old girl last month near Lake of the Isles in south Minneapolis.

Antonio L. Brooks Jr. was charged in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree unintentional murder in connection with the shooting on July 17 of Ka'Maih Emauri Johnson of Minneapolis.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office found that Johnson was shot multiple times in the chest shortly before 1:30 a.m. near the residential intersection of W. 25½ Street and Girard Avenue S. She died at the scene, according to police.

Brooks "is not in custody, and his current whereabouts are unknown," the criminal complaint read.

According to the complaint:

Police arrived at the scene and saw a wounded Johnson down in the street. Officers located a discharged cartridge casing nearby.

A female told investigators that she and Johnson were cruising around with three juvenile males when Brooks texted her and arranged to meet up.

Brooks and a male whom the female did not know showed up in an SUV. Johnson and the female got in the SUV.

As they were "laughing, joking and making videos," Brooks said, " 'I'm going to shoot you all,' " the complaint quoted the female as recalling.

The female and Johnson went back to their car, where Johnson got in the back seat but "was hanging out of the open window and holding onto the inside of the car," the complaint continued. A gunshot rang out, sending the female leaping from the car.

After learning Johnson had been shot, the female contacted Brooks, who acknowledged his involvement in the shooting and apologized.

A juvenile male in the car with Johnson said that as they drove off, Johnson fell to the pavement.

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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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