Man on the lam charged in fatal south Minneapolis shooting
MINNEAPOLIS -- A 31-year-old Twin Cities man who remains on the lam is now charged in a fatal shooting earlier this week in south Minneapolis.
Jashon Johnson, of Edina, is charged via warrant with second-degree murder in connection to the Monday killing on Stevens Avenue South, court documents filed in Hennepin County show. His girlfriend, Australia Washington, is also charged in the shooting death of 31-year-old Marcus Saunders.
According to a criminal complaint, Johnson gunned down Saunders shortly after 1 p.m. as Saunders' two young children waited for him nearby. The mother of Saunders' children was with him, and told police the shooting happened following an argument.
The woman told investigators that her and Saunders went to the Whittier neighborhood to see Washington, the woman's cousin, who owed Saunders money. When Washington came out to meet Saunders and her cousin, she was joined by Johnson, her boyfriend.
The argument over money quickly escalated, with Washington and Johnson pointing guns at both Saunders and his partner. When Saunders snatched one of the guns from Washington's hands, Johnson shot him. Johnson continued to shoot while Saunders was lying on the ground.
An autopsy found that Saunders suffered gunshot wounds to his neck, chest and right leg, the complaint states. When the shooting happened, Saunders' children, ages 5 and 3 months old, were waiting in his car, which was parked nearby.
Johnson and Washington ran from the scene, and security cameras captured Johnson trying to conceal a gun in his clothing. While police arrested Washington on Thursday, Johnson remains on the run.
Investigators say the gun involved in Saunders' death was tied to a domestic incident involving Johnson and Washington. According to prosecutors, in July of 2021, Johnson fired several shots at Washington and her vehicle.
If convicted of the murder charge, Johnson faces up to 40 years in prison. He also faces up to 15 years behind bars for a gun possession charge, as Johnson was convicted of a felony drug charge in 2015.
