Mitchell Johnson (murderer)
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Mitchell Johnson (born August 11, 1984) is an American murderer. Johnson (13 years old during the attack) along with middle school classmate and cousin Andrew Golden (then 11) ambushed teachers and fellow students in the backyard of Westside Middle School in Jonesboro on March 24, 1998, killing five and wounding ten people.
Their crime occurred during the rash of schoolyard shooting culminating with the Columbine High School massacre.
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[edit] Early life
Johnson came from a broken home. His mother had remarried an inmate at the prison where she was a guard. Johnson reportedly had a good relationship with his stepfather and siblings. Adults who knew him described him as quiet and respectful. He faithfully attended church and sang in choir. However, his fellow students told a different story about a darker side. They said he was a braggart and a bully. He talked of wanting to belong to gangs and smoke marijuana. He also spoke of "having a lot of killing to do" and a bitter grudge against Shannon Wright, a teacher.
It was also commented that he had a nearly obsessive fascination with rap music, firearms and violent television shows. In the summer of 1997, during a visit to his uncle's house, Johnson sexually molested a two-year-old girl [citations needed]. At the time of the shooting, he was charged with the crime and was facing trial for it.
[edit] Planning
Johnson had reportedly started planning the attack at least one month in advance. He and Andrew Golden, stole seven weapons over the course of a month from Johnson's stepfather's massive firearm collection.
[edit] Massacre
Main article: Jonesboro massacre
On the night of March 23, 1998, Johnson and Golden loaded his mother's van with weapons, snack foods, stuffed animals, and camping supplies, and went to sleep.
The next day, Johnson stole his mother's keys and drove to the school with Golden. Johnson parked the van in the middle of the woods outside of the backyard of the school, planning to return there once the massacre was over. Johnson sat on a hill in the backyard of the school, while Golden went inside and pulled the fire alarm. Golden ran back and rejoined him at the hill with his weapon. As the students and teachers filed out of the building, thinking it was a routine fire drill, Johnson and Golden opened fire on them.
After firing for five minutes, four students and a teacher (all female) were killed, and ten more were wounded. As the police arrived on the scene, Johnson and Golden ran into the woods, back to the van. However, they failed to outrun the officers that were pursuing them, and were both arrested.
[edit] Trial
They were held in jail for four months, and the trial began on August 11, 1998, Johnson's 14th birthday. Both Johnson and Golden were each convicted on five counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and seven counts of illegal firearm possession. However, the maximum sentence that could be imposed on a minor under Arkansas law was to be held until their 18th birthday. This outraged many residents of Jonesboro, and led to changes in laws in Arkansas regarding the prosecution of minors. However, the firearm counts were all federal, so they could be held until age 21.
The media reported that both youths wept in custody and showed remorse. They both asked for a Bible and a minister. The guards at the Jonesboro jail, however, told reporters this was only an affectation. They reported that the boys slept and ate well and for the most part seemed unaware of the severity of their crime. They said they only acted that way when their parents were present. Fellow inmates at the facility where the two youths were later confined reported that the two "bragged" about their offenses, particularly about the murder of Shannon Wright.
[edit] Release
Johnson was released on August 11, 2005, on his 21st birthday. He is allowed to buy and own firearms. However, in interviews with Johnson's mother, she has said that Johnson plans to leave Jonesboro and become a Baptist minister. Golden is to be released on May 25, 2007.
On January 1, 2007, Johnson was arrested after a traffic stop in Fayetteville, Arkansas on misdemeanor charges of carrying a weapon - a loaded 9 mm pistol - and possession of 21.2 grams of marijuana. Though the van Johnson was riding in was registered to him, the driver was 22-year-old Justin Trammell. Trammell and Johnson reportedly met at Alexander Youth Services correctional facility in Alexander, Ark., where Trammell was incarcerated after pleading guilty to the 1999 crossbow murder of his father, a crime committed when Justin Trammell was 15 years old. The pair are roomates and provided officers with the same Fayetteville address.
Trammel was cited for careless driving and released. Johnson was arrested for possession of marijuana and a loaded weapon and later released on a $1,000 bond. He will have a court appearance on Jan. 26, 2007 at the Washington County, Ark. courthouse. [1]
[edit] Victims
[edit] Killed
- Natalie Brooks, age 11
- Paige Ann Herring, age 12
- Stephanie Johnson, age 12 (no relation to Mitchell Johnson)
- Brittany R. Varner, age 11
- Shannon Wright, age 32 (teacher)
[edit] See also
[edit] Links
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | United States crime biography stubs | 1984 births | Living people | American murderers | Murderers of children | Spree shootings | School shootings in the US perpetrated by students | History of Arkansas | People from Jonesboro, Arkansas | People from Arkansas
