D’Mari Johnson was walking toward his father’s car, ready to hop in the back seat and head home when he was shot in the back of the head outside a DeKalb County skating rink April 9.
He had gone to Golden Glide with his family just to have fun. Now they are left wondering why shots went off in the parking lot, leaving D’Mari fighting for his life in a hospital bed.
“We are confused. We want answers. And we just want to move forward with going on with D’Mari. We all love him. He’s a bright kid. We are so hurt right now that this is happening to D’Mari,” the boy’s aunt, Brittani Johnson, said Monday morning during a news conference at The Cochran Firm in downtown Atlanta.
D’Mari had received a text message from his father that night telling him he was waiting for him in the parking lot of the rink on Wesley Chapel Road. After gathering his belongings, D’Mari walked outside around 11 p.m. and was shot, according to Cochran Firm lawyer Shean Williams. Police earlier said the shooting happened about 1 a.m., which would have been two hours after the rink closed.
A video shared by the boy’s family on social media showed a crowd of people, including several minors, running through the parking lot as seven shots rang out.
Police have released few details on what led up to the shooting, but Williams said there were some fights at the rink and a “group of individuals that was causing havoc.” Williams said he believes those individuals may have been involved in the shooting.
The 11-year-old was taken to a hospital in critical condition. As of Monday morning, he remained in a medically induced coma, according to the attorney.
On Tuesday, police announced they are closing in on a suspect. Investigators did not publicly identify the suspect, who remains at large.
The family’s attorneys sent a letter to skating rink officials asking them to preserve all evidence, including surveillance footage. The firm said they are unsure if there are cameras at the facility. Golden Glide has not responded to the letter or offered the family an apology, according to Williams. No one at the rink has answered the phone when The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has repeatedly reached out.
Credit: Family Photo
Credit: Family Photo
But Williams said it’s not just the skating rink that has been quiet since the shooting. He said the family has felt out of touch with authorities throughout the investigation and said daily updates would be welcomed.
“This family just wants updates and answers. I think they deserve that at a minimum,” Williams said. “While their son is fighting in the hospital, they’re not getting the information to answer some of those questions of how, why and the reasons.”
The family and law firm are asking authorities to investigate the skating rink and its ability to keep visitors safe. They claim that if there was more security, D’Mari might never have been shot.
“Golden Glide is a nuisance. It’s a nuisance of danger for our kids and our families. We’re asking that it be shut down until there can be some assurances to this community, to this family, to other families, that they can take their kids to the skating rink and make sure they come home safely,” Williams said.
Johnson’s parents have “devoted all of their time being alongside him throughout this tragic ordeal,” the family wrote in a GoFundMe campaign to help with the boy’s medical expenses. Atlanta-based national radio and TV host Rashad Richey announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
“I just want to let everybody know that he was a bright kid, an A and B honor roll student. He loves basketball and he also loves football,” Brittani Johnson said. “We all just want justice for D’Mari Johnson.”
Anyone with information is asked to call DeKalb police investigators at 770-724-7850. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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