Rochester man sentenced in Maplewood Park mass shooting
Show Caption Hide Caption 2024 gun violence victims Rochester NY Journalists Kayla Canne and Robert Bell discuss the D&C project on 2024's gun violence victims.
A Rochester man was sentenced to eight years in state prison after police identified him as one of several shooters that contributed to a dizzying spray of gunfire at a Maplewood Park barbecue in July 2024.
The mass shooting left two women dead and five others injured. Niger Johnson was not accused of striking any of the victims, but police said video evidence showed him shooting indiscriminately into the crowd. He was arrested and charged in February with first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Nine people shot a combined 50 bullets into a crowd of hundreds gathered for the barbecue on July 28, 2024. Rochester police have not released a motive for the shooting and have not made any other arrests. An investigation is still ongoing, though police have said the size of the shooting makes this case more challenging than most.
Johnson was sentenced Monday to eight years in state prison, with five years of post-release supervision, the Monroe County District Attorney's Office confirmed.
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News of his arrest earlier this year provoked mixed feelings from the families of Phylicia Council and Tyasia Manning, the two women killed in the shooting.
For Alex Reese Council, Phylicia's father, it was the first step toward justice. Still, he wasn't completely satisfied and said investigators had more work to do.
"It's the first phone call I've ever got that was worth anything," he said in February. "I don't want the wrong person in jail for my daughter's killing. If he wasn't the one, his bullet didn't do it, I get it. Let's find the one who did. Because somebody did."
The arrest only raised more questions for Manning's mother LaQuita Roundheart. In February, she said she was frustrated by the pace of the investigation and aching for more concrete answers. She hoped that Niger Johnson would reveal more about the incident that killed her daughter.
— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram at @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
[SRC] https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2025/10/07/niger-johnson-sentenced-in-maplewood-park-mass-shooting-in-rochester-ny/86566674007/
