The shooting this past July in Maplewood Park lasted barely a minute. But in that time, police say, up to 50 rounds were fired from nine guns in a scramble that left two women dead and five injured.
While Rochester police have identified a total of 16 people with firearms during the shooting, investigators so far only have enough evidence to charge one.
RPD issued a wanted notice Wednesday for 20-year-old Niger Johnson. He faces felony charges of reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
“We can prove he was armed with an operable, working handgun, and we can prove where he was when he fired that handgun,” said police Capt. Frank Umbrino.
He stressed the department is not alleging Johnson shot any of the victims in the incident.
Pressing murder charges in the shooting presents a challenge given the difficulty of determining whose gun actually fired the rounds that struck people, Umbrino said during a news conference at the downtown Public Safety Building.
“We have to prove this gun struck this victim, and we have to be able to determine who had that gun in their possession, and who was firing it,” Umbrino said. “When you have this many gunshots fired, it’s very challenging.”
The shooting happened July 28, during a community barbecue that drew dozens of people to Maplewood Park. Shots rang out around 6:20 p.m. Phylicia Council, 34, and Tyasia Manning, 25, were killed.
A total of 30 shell casings were recovered from the scene. ShotSpotter alerts from the incident place the total number of gunshots between 40 and 50. Umbrino did not cite a specific number. Six 9 mm handguns, two .45-caliber handguns, and one .40-caliber handgun allegedly were used in the shooting.
Police are asking anyone who sees Johnson to call 911. Those with information regarding his whereabouts can call (585) 428-9910. People with information leading to his arrest may be eligible for a cash reward.
