Brian Johnson Obituary, Death; – Family members remain optimistic that a suspect will be identified and apprehended following the tragic shooting death of a father of four in a Charlotte park in late July. The incident occurred shortly before 8 p.m. on Friday, July 26, at Progress Park, located off Parkwood Avenue in the Villa Heights neighborhood of Charlotte. Brian Johnson, 38, was struck by a bullet during a drive-by shooting.
In a phone interview with NEWSCHAIN on Monday, Johnson’s widow, Ashley Johnson, expressed her sorrow, noting that her husband leaves behind four children aged four to 16. “Brian was cherished by many. He had numerous friends and was deeply involved with his family,” she stated.
Ashley Johnson recounted the moments leading up to her husband’s untimely death, explaining that he had stopped to converse with acquaintances at Progress Park while waiting to pick up his children from vacation Bible school. She shared that he had only been at the park for a brief period before the gunfire erupted.
“I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it. It felt as though this was not meant to happen to us,” Ashley Johnson remarked. She emphasized the significant milestones her husband will miss, including father-daughter dances, sporting events, and family vacations.
“I am still grappling with the reality of this situation, particularly since he was not the intended target,” she added. Detective Jacqueline Clyburn of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed that investigators do not believe Johnson was the intended victim of the shooting, indicating that he was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Our victim was a devoted family man. His children should not have to grow up without him,” Clyburn stated. The detective suggested that the shooter(s) may have been aiming for someone with whom Brian Johnson was present in the park.
Ashley Johnson expressed her belief that someone in the community possesses knowledge about her husband’s death. “Brian was simply an innocent bystander. Our family will never be the same due to the actions of someone else and their conflicts with others,” she elaborated.
