HARTFORD POLICE UNSOLVED MURDER—Triple SHOOTING
DATE: JULY 4TH, 2004
LOCATION: INTERSECTION OF ALBANY AVENUE AND KENT STREET
TIME: 1436 HOURS (DAYTIME SHOOTING)
CAUSE OF DEATH: MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS
MANNER OF DEATH: HOMICIDE
PRIMARY VICTIM: KEVIN “ NICODEMUS” JOHNSON 7-6-1985
SECONDARY VICTIM: DONALD RAYNOR 6-20-1985. Raynor is currently incarcerated for the Murder of Delano Gray and is serving a 60 year sentence for that crime.
MEDICAL EXAMINER INFORMATION FOR KEVIN JOHNSON
GUNSHOT WOUNDS
1. RIGHT CHEST
2. RIGHT THIGH
3. GRAZE WOUND TO BACK OF HEAD
4. OTHER INJURIES—ABRASIONS AND LACERATIONS TO FACE
By Christopher J. Lyons
It is July 4th, 2004 and it is 1426 hours (2:26 pm) in the afternoon. It is a holiday and Hartford Police have just received a call of many shots fired at the intersection of Albany Avenue and Kent Street with two victims shot. Police arrive on scene and immediately see two black males lying on the ground. A black vehicle is near by with both of the front doors open and the engine running. One of the males is lying on his face, unresponsive and not talking. This victim later identified as Kevin Johnson is suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The second male is also lying on the ground. He is shot in the legs and is awake, alert and talking on his cell phone as police arrive on scene. This second male is identified as Donald Raynor. A large crowd has gathered at the intersection and police are forced to call backup to assist in crowd control. Both Johnson and Raynor are taken to St. Francis Hospital to be treated for their injuries. Kevin Johnson does not survive and is pronounced dead at 1501 hours of July 4th, 2004 (3:01pm). Donald Raynor survives this shooting. Later a third victim identified as Jared Charles arrives at Mt. Sinai Hospital with a minor gunshot wound to the leg.
In the initial investigation, police learn the following. Donald Raynor was driving his family vehicle and is on Norfolk Street looking for friends there. He leaves Norfolk Street and drives to the intersection of Albany Avenue and Kent Street. Kevin Johnson is in the front passenger seat and a third person is in the car as well. Police learn that at this intersection a second vehicle pulls up to Raynor’s vehicle and drives to the side. Inside of that vehicle are several males wearing baseball caps and dark sunglasses. Several of these males have firearms and begin to shoot at Raynor and Johnson. Raynor and Johnson try to escape as the shots are fired at them but both are hit. Kevin Johnson is struck three times including in his chest. Both Raynor and Johnson fall where they are shot. Johnson is unconscious at the scene and never wakes. Donald Raynor initially assists police but then stops helping in the investigation.
In the investigation, police learn of a dispute between Raynor and his friends and another group of males who operate in the north end of the city of Hartford. Several persons of interest are identified, some are now dead from being murdered themselves, some are incarcerated for murder and other crimes and others are on the street still active.
Almost everyone in the case is a convicted felon and this case is a prime example of a small group of people being involved in a majority of violent crime afflicting Hartford. A small number of violent individuals committing the majority of violent crime that gives the city a bad reputation. Because of this case there was a lot of retaliation between different factions of young men trying to avenge different shootings. It is a case that underscores what Chief Rovella is saying about a small number of people causing a lot of the crime in the city.
