Upper East Side shooting: Azsia Johnson reported domestic violence but police ‘failed’ her, says mom

Azsia Johnson, the young mother who was shot and killed while pushing her three-month-old baby in a stroller in New York City, had reportedly made multiple domestic violence complaints to police prior to her execution-style murder.

Ms Johnson’s heartbroken mother accused the police of failing to protect her 20-year-old daughter from her allegedly abusive ex-boyfriend, with investigators now searching for the baby’s father as a person of interest in her slaying.

Ms Johnson – an aspiring nurse and mother-of-two – was walking with her infant near 95th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper East Side at around 8.30pm on Wednesday night.

Police said a hooded gunman approached from behind and fired a single shot to her head at point-blank range, killing her. The baby was unharmed.

The victim’s family reportedly told investigators that Ms Johnson was planning to meet the baby’s father that night.

The NYPD has refused to confirm the baby’s father is the person of interest but said investigators are exploring domestic violence as a possible motive.

The shooting unfolded in one of the city’s most affluent neighbourhoods and just blocks from a playground, just days after the Supreme Court loosened US gun laws.

Key points

• Azsia Johnson had filed at least two domestic violence complaints

• Victim’s mother urges killer to ‘turn yourself in'

• Vigil planned for Thursday night in honour of Azsia Johnson

• Baby’s father named as person of interest, say reports

• Victim remembered as aspiring nurse and ‘best’ mother to two children

• Victim planned to meet baby’s father night she was killed, says police source

Map shows the shooting’s proximity to children’s playground

Thursday 30 June 2022 20:51 , Rachel Sharp

The shooting took place just steps away from a playground where children were playing.

Azsia Johnson was shot dead near 95th Street and Lexington Avenue in the Upper East Side at around 8.30pm on Wednesday.

The playground Samuel Seabury Park is at the same intersection.

Here is a map of the scene:

What we know so far

Thursday 30 June 2022 15:01 , Megan Sheets

A 20-year-old mother was fatally shot in Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Tuesday night while out for a walk with her months-old child.

As of 10am Wednesday, the suspect is still at large.

The Independent’s Johanna Chisholm has more:

Mother shot dead while pushing stroller in New York

Victim’s identity not publicly released

Thursday 30 June 2022 15:15 , Rachel Sharp

The identity of the victim has not been released to the public.

Police said they have identified the woman but are yet to notify her next of kin.

She is 20 years old and is believed to be the infant’s mother.

No suspects identified

Thursday 30 June 2022 15:35 , Rachel Sharp

No suspects have been identified in the execution-style murder of a mother pushing her baby in a stroller on the Upper East Side on Wednesday night.

An NYPD spokesperson told The Independent that, as of 10am Thursday morning, there are no suspects in the brutal crime.

“That could change at any moment,” the spokesperson said.

Mother was living at woman’s shelter: police source

Thursday 30 June 2022 15:55 , Rachel Sharp

The woman shot and killed on Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Wednesday night was living at a nearby woman’s shelter, according to a law enforcement official.

The police source told CNN the 20-year-old mother was temporarily staying at the shelter in East Harlem – blocks from the scene where she was shot dead by 95th Street and Lexington Avenue.

It is not clear how long the victim had been staying there or what circumstances led her to seek shelter there.

Person of interest identified and domestic violence being investigated

Thursday 30 June 2022 16:04 , Rachel Sharp

A person of interest has been identified in the shooting of the 20-year-old mother in the Upper East Side with police investigating a possible motive of domestic violence.

New York City Council Member Julia Menin gave an update of the case on Twitter on Thursday.

“Breaking Update: @NYPD19Pct has informed us that they have a Person of Interest in the shooting of the mother last night in my district,” she tweeted.

“Domestic violence is being investigated.”

No one in police custody despite person of interest being identified

Thursday 30 June 2022 16:20 , Rachel Sharp

An NYPD spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that there is a person of interest in the case but that no one has been taken into police custody at this time.

Police would not release the man’s identity or confirm whether or not they knew his whereabouts.

The man’s connection to the victim is currently unclear.

Victim is named in domestic incident reports

Thursday 30 June 2022 16:40 , Rachel Sharp

The victim of the shooting has previously been involved in domestic incidents, according to a law enforcement official.

The police source told CNN that investigators learned details about the mother and her three-month-old child from domestic incident reports where her name appears.

As well as the mother’s name, the reports also include the names of former boyfriends and a second child who was not with the victim at the time of the shooting.

No further details were released about the domestic incidents on record.

It is not clear if the person of interest is named in the reports.

What do we know about the gunman

Thursday 30 June 2022 17:00 , Rachel Sharp

The shooter was described as a male dressed in all-black clothing, including black sweatpants and a black hooded sweatshirt.

Police said the suspect left the scene on foot along 95th Street.

Victim’s mother says suspect is baby’s father

Thursday 30 June 2022 17:20 , Rachel Sharp

The victim’s mother has said the suspect in her daughter’s killing is the father of the three-month-old baby who witnessed her being shot at point-blank range.

Lisa Desort’s 20-year-old daughter was pushing her infant child in a stroller through the Upper East Side when she was brutally murdered.

Ms Desort told Fox News that the baby’s father – who has not been publicly named – is the suspected gunman and had made multiple threats to her daughter, her other daughter and herself in the past.

Another source also told the outlet that the baby’s father was the person of interest currently wanted by investigators.

Victim planned to meet baby’s father night she was killed, says police source

Thursday 30 June 2022 17:40 , Rachel Sharp

The victim planned to meet up with the father of her three-month-old baby on the night she was shot and killed, according to a police source.

A law enforcement official told New York Daily News that the 20-year-old mother sent text messages to her family members saying she was meeting the baby’s father on Wednesday night to talk some things out.

The victim – who police are still declining to publicly identify – was pushing the three-month-old in a stroller through the Upper East Side just before 8.30pm when she was approached by a hooded figure and shot at point-blank range in the head.

The man – who has not been publicly named – had allegedly assaulted the victim while she was pregnant and she was unsure if she then wanted him in their child’s life, the official said.

Police are now seeking to question the baby’s father as the person of interest in the young mother’s killing, reported NY Daily News.

Victim’s mother slams police for failing to protect daughter

Thursday 30 June 2022 18:00 , Rachel Sharp

The victim’s mother has hit out at police for failing to protect her daughter after she said the family filed multiple reports about her ex-partner threatening to kill her.

Lisa Desort told Fox News that the father of the three-month-old baby who her daughter was pushing in a stroller at the time of her killing is the suspect currently wanted by investigators.

She said that the suspect had “threatened me with death, my daughter with death, and my other daughter with death” and they had reported the incidents to the NYPD “numerous times”.

The grieving mother said that “no one protected” her daughter.

“The city was supposed to be protecting her. This is a domestic violence case from January. We called the precinct,” she said.

“All that anyone needs to know in this city is we called numerous times for her protection.

“No one protected my daughter, and now she’s dead.”

Her daughter – who police have not publicly named – was the mother to both the three-month-old and a two-year-old child.

That child, who she shares with another man, was not with her at the time of the shooting.

Ms Desort said that her daughter was “the best mother” and had dreams of being a pediatric nurse.

“She had been working since she was 16, and she took care of people. She was the best mother,” she said.

“My daughter did not deserve this.”

Victim is identified as Azsia Johnson

Thursday 30 June 2022 18:16 , Rachel Sharp

The young mother shot dead on Wednesday night has been identified as 20-year-old Azsia Johnson.

Ms Johnson’s mother confirmed her daughter as the victim to PIX11.

Mayor Eric Adams slams gun violence ‘epidemic’

Thursday 30 June 2022 18:40 , Rachel Sharp

New York City Mayor Eric Adams slammed the gun violence “epidemic” which he blamed for the execution-style murder of the 20-year-old mother at a time.

At a press conference on Wednesday night with other city leaders at the scene of the shooting, he hit out at the “over-proliferation of guns” and the “dangerous people that repeatedly leave our criminal justice system”.

“More guns in our city means more lives lost,” he said.

“It means more babies crying, as those who love them lie dead.”

He added: “These are real stories, real lives. When a woman is pushing a baby carriage down the block and is shot in point blank range, it shows just how this national problem is impacting families.

“It doesn’t matter if you are on the Upper East Side or East New York, Brooklyn.”

The mayor, a former NYPD officer, said that the violent slaying came just hours after New York officials had spent the day working to tackle gun violence in the city.

On Wednesday, Mr Adams announced the city was filing lawsuits against ghost gun retailers.

The mayor also met with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand about tackling gun trafficking.

Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that state lawmakers were working on a gun control bill to ban people from carrying firearms in many places.

The steps come amid a surge in gun violence across both New York and the wider US and after the Supreme Court loosened gun control in a ruling last Thursday.

Children at nearby playground witnessed shooting

Thursday 30 June 2022 19:00 , Rachel Sharp

Young children witnessed the horrific shooting while they were enjoying a summer evening at a nearby playground.

The shooting unfolded at around 8.23pm on Wednesday near Lexington Avenue and 95th Street just steps from the Samuel Seabury Playground.

One 10-year-old girl who was there with her brother and aunt told DailyMail.com she heard a loud “boom” and saw a woman fall.

At first, she thought it might be fireworks before she realised it was a gunshot.

“I was really confused, because I thought maybe this was fireworks. But then I realized that no, this is serious and that there was a gunshot,” she said.

“And it really frightened me because I was right there at the park playing and I never would have ever thought that would happen.

“I saw a lot of people running, and I saw a woman down there, she fell.”

She added: “I was worried but then I wanted to stay calm, because I didn’t want any interaction, and I didn’t want anything else to happen.”

Victim is remembered as aspiring nurse and ‘best’ mother to two children

Thursday 30 June 2022 19:20 , Rachel Sharp

An aspiring nurse and young mother-of-two was identified as the woman who was shot dead at point-blank range while pushing her baby in a stroller through the Upper East Side.

Azsia Johnson, 20, died on Wednesday night after she reportedly planned to meet up with the father of her three-month-old infant.

Ms Johnson’s mother Lisa Desort said her daughter had been the victim of domestic violence by her baby’s father and that the family had filed multiple reports to the police – but that authorities had failed to protect her.

Ms Desort told Fox News that she was “the best mother” to her two children – aged three months and two years old – and had dreams of being a pediatric nurse,

“She had been working since she was 16, and she took care of people. She was the best mother,” she said. “My daughter did not deserve this.”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Azsia Johnson named as mother shot dead while pushing stroller on Upper East Side

Vigil planned for Thursday night in honour of Azsia Johnson

Thursday 30 June 2022 19:40 , Rachel Sharp

A candlelight vigil has been planned for Thursday night in honour of Azsia Johnson.

The vigil will take place on East 95th street between Lexington and Third Avenue, close to the scene of the horrific shooting on Wednesday night.

It is scheduled to start at 8.30pm, the same time that the 20-year-old victim was gunned down while pushing her baby in a stroller through the area.

NYC Council Member Julie Menin, whose district covers the Upper East Side area where Ms Johnson was shot and killed, welcomed community members to come to the vigil in a post on Twitter.

“Please join us tonight for a candlelight vigil at 8:30pm on East 95th street between Lexington and Third Ave as our community mourns the tragic fatal shooting of a young mother,” she tweeted.

Map shows the shooting’s proximity to children’s playground

Thursday 30 June 2022 20:00 , Rachel Sharp

The shooting took place just steps away from a playground where children were playing.

Azsia Johnson was shot dead near 95th Street and Lexington Avenue in the Upper East Side at around 8.30pm on Wednesday.

The playground Samuel Seabury Park is at the same intersection.

Here is a map of the scene:

Mayor Eric Adams announces new unit to tackle gun violence

Thursday 30 June 2022 20:20 , Rachel Sharp

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of a new unit to tackle gun violence on Thursday – just hours after the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Azsia Johnson.

The DNA Gun Crimes Unit will speed up gun crime analysis, with forensic experts able to provide DNA results in half the current time of 60 days.

A staggering $2.5m is being channeled into the new unit, which will be overseen by New York City’s medical examiner’s office.

In a press conference announcing the unit’s launch, the mayor said it will play a “major role” in tackling gun violence in the city.

“This is a central part of our apparatus in fighting gun violence and sometime we missed this piece but without this piece, we can’t take guns off our streets and deal with people who are dangerous to our city,” he said.

Data shows spike in crimes in NYC but shootings down

Thursday 30 June 2022 20:40 , Rachel Sharp

The latest data released by the NYPD shows that crime has surged in New York City in the last year but that the number of shootings has actually fallen.

A total of 58,417 crimes were reported across the five boroughs in the year ending 26 June 2022 – a rise of 37.8 percent from 42,383 crimes reported in the same period in 2021.

However the number of shootings is down by 12.1 percent from 710 to 624 in the same timeframe.

The number of shooting victims has also fallen by 8.6 percent in the last year from 817 in 2021 to 747 in 2022.

Azsia Johnson had filed at least two domestic violence complaints

Thursday 30 June 2022 21:00 , Rachel Sharp

Azsia Johnson had filed at least two domestic violence complaints in the two years before she was gunned down in Manhattan on Wednesday night.

A law enforcement official told The Daily Beast that the 20-year-old had filed the complaints against more than one man.

The identities of the men were not revealed and it is unclear how the authorities responded.

The NYPD said the murder of the 20-year-old mother is being investigated as a possible domestic incident, while Ms Johnson’s family said that the father of her three-month-old child is a person of interest being sought for questioning.

Lisa Desort, Ms Johnson’s mother, said that the baby’s father had abused her daughter when she was pregnant and that she and her daughter had alerted the police.

But the authorities failed to protect her daughter, she said.

Victim’s mother urges killer to ‘turn yourself in'

Thursday 30 June 2022 21:30 , Rachel Sharp

The mother of 20-year-old Azsia Johnson has urged her daughter’s killer to “turn yourself in” as her two young children have now been left without their mother.

Lisa Desort sent a message to the gunman who shot her daughter dead, urging him to seek counselling.

“I treated you like a son. I welcomed you into my home. I spoke to you and calmed you down when you were upset. I fed you. Your baby girl does not, and no longer, will have a father or mother,” she told NBC News.

“Turn yourself in. This is what we have been telling you – turn yourself in. Go to counselling. You didn’t have to hurt my daughter. We could have been a family.”

Ms Desort said that the father of her daughter’s three-month-old child is wanted for questioning by police after he allegedly assaulted Ms Johnson and threatened her when she was pregnant.

The NYPD has not named a suspect but has identified a person of interest. Police have not released the identity of the person of interest.

Surveillance footage captures gunman pacing moments before shooting

Thursday 30 June 2022 22:00 , Rachel Sharp

Surveillance footage has captured the gunman pacing around the area just moments before he shot and killed the 20-year-old victim.

Police sources told NBC News that video footage had been recovered from in and around the crime scene, showing the suspect pacing in front of a residence just before he carried out the execution-style attack.

Azsia Johnson was also captured in footage pushing the stroller with her baby inside.

New York lawmakers hold emergency meeting on gun laws

Thursday 30 June 2022 22:30 , Rachel Sharp

New York lawmakers are holding an emergency meeting on state gun laws after the US Supreme Court relaxed firearm restrictions across the country at a time of rising gun violence and mass shootings.

The meeting, held on Thursday afternoon, was called so that the state could comply with the ruling from the nation’s highest court while still keeping gun control measures in place.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday – hours before the shooting of Azsia Johnson – that guns will be banned from private businesses unless owners specifically post a sign out front reading: “Concealed-carry weapons welcome here.”

Hospitals, day-care centres, parks, zoos, playgrounds and public transit are also expected to be classed as sensitive places where concealed carry is banned.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the state’s gun law requiring people to have “proper cause” to carry firearms in public was unconstitutional.

Mother blasts authorities for failing to protect daughter

Thursday 30 June 2022 23:00 , Rachel Sharp

Azsia Johnson’s mother has blasted New York City authorities for failing to protect her daughter after she allegedly filed multiple reports of domestic violence against her ex-boyfriend while pregnant with their child.

Lisa Desort told NBC New York that her daughter called her on 1 January – when she was six months’ pregnant – and said she was being abused by the baby’s father.

“She was scared to call the police so she gave me the address. I called police,” she said.

She said that the police responded and her daughter moved in with her.

But, Ms Johnson kept being threatened and harassed by her former partner.

Ms Desort said they reported the threats to a detective but were told that no crime had been committed.

The 20-year-old ended up moving into a domestic violence shelter because they feared that the ex knew where her mother’s house was.

Ms Desort said she feared that the baby’s father would hurt or even kill her daughter.

“I tried to protect my daughter in every way. She had to leave my house, she couldn’t live there because he knew where I lived,” she said. "I kept telling her, ‘He’s no good.’"

NYC council member says she requested cameras be installed at site of shooting

Thursday 30 June 2022 23:30 , Rachel Sharp

New York City council member Julie Menin said that she called for surveillance cameras to be installed in the area one week before the shooting of Azsia Johnson.

Ms Menin tweeted on Thursday that she had requested cameras be installed at the Isador E Idor Straus and Lower Lab School in response to the mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, last month.

The New York school is just steps from the scene of Wednesday’s shooting.

“Our community is traumatized by the horrific fatal shooting of Azsia Johnson walking her baby next to the park + buildings of PS 198/PS 77. Just last week, I sent a letter requesting cameras be installed at that building, one of 2 remaining in our District without cameras,” she wrote.

“While security cameras could not have prevented this awful shooting, it is important that these safety measures are installed immediately.”

Baby’s father identified as person of interest, reports say

Friday 1 July 2022 00:00 , Rachel Sharp

The father of the three-month-old baby being pushed in a stroller when the child’s mother was shot dead has been identified as a person of interest in the murder, according to police sources and family members.

A law enforcement official told New York Daily News that 20-year-old Azsia Johnson had sent text messages to her family saying that she was planning to meet up with the child’s father on Wednesday night.

The man – who has not been publicly named – had allegedly assaulted the victim while she was pregnant and she was unsure if she now wanted him in their child’s life, the official said.

The victim was pushing her three-month-old child in a stroller through the Upper East Side just before 8.30pm when she was approached by a hooded figure and shot at point-blank range in the head.

The perpetrator fled the scene.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Baby’s father is person of interest in killing of mother on Upper East Side: report

Azsia Johnson moved out of home to get away from ex, says mother

Friday 1 July 2022 00:30 , Rachel Sharp

Azsia Johnson moved out of her family home to get away from her ex-boyfriend and the father of her baby, according to her grieving mother.

Lisa Desort told NBC New York that her daughter moved back in with her after the baby’s father abused her when she was pregnant.

But the 20-year-old ending up having to leave her home too because her ex knew where she lived, she said.

“I tried to protect my daughter in every way. She had to leave my house, she couldn’t live there because he knew where I lived,” she said.

Ms Johnson ended up moving into a shelter for victims of domestic violence. She was living there – just a few blocks from the scene of the shooting – when she was killed.

Vigil to take place soon in honour of Azsia Johnson

01:00 , Rachel Sharp

A candlelight vigil will begin soon in honour of Azsia Johnson.

The vigil will take place on East 95th street between Lexington and Third Avenue, close to the scene of the horrific shooting on Wednesday night.

It is scheduled to start at 8.30pm, the same time that the 20-year-old victim was gunned down while pushing her baby in a stroller through the area.

NYC Council Member Julie Menin, whose district covers the Upper East Side area where Ms Johnson was shot and killed, welcomed community members to come to the vigil in a post on Twitter.

“Please join us tonight for a candlelight vigil at 8:30pm on East 95th street between Lexington and Third Ave as our community mourns the tragic fatal shooting of a young mother,” she tweeted.

Shooting comes days after Supreme Court loosened gun laws

02:00 , Rachel Sharp

Wednesday’s murder came just days after the US Supreme Court struck down a New York gun law and paved the way for loosened gun laws across the country.

In a 6-3 ruling, the justices ruled that a New York law requiring people to have a “special need” to carry a firearm in public was unconstitutional.

Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas said in the majority opinion: “We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need.”

ICYMI: Victim identified by family as aspiring nurse and domestic violence victim

03:00 , Rachel Sharp

An aspiring nurse and young mother-of-two was identified as the woman who was shot dead at point-blank range while pushing her baby in a stroller through Manhattan.

Azsia Johnson, 20, died on Wednesday night after she reportedly planned to meet up with the father of her three-month-old infant.

Ms Johnson’s mother Lisa Desort said her daughter had been the victim of domestic violence by her baby’s father and that the family had filed multiple reports to the police – but that authorities had failed to protect her.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Azsia Johnson named as mother shot dead while pushing stroller on Upper East Side

Upper East Side is one of most affluent neighbourhoods

04:00 , Rachel Sharp

The Upper East Side is one of the most affluent and safest neighbourhoods in New York City.

Based in Manhattan, the average house price is $1.3m – almost four times the New York average of $325,000, according to CensusReporter.

The average income per capita is $117,359, almost three times the New York average of $40,898.

As well as being home to some of the richest New Yorkers, it is also home to the mayor’s official residence of Gracie Mansion.

Crime is low compared to other parts of the city, with the 19th police precinct recording just two murders in 2021 while Azsia Johnson’s murder marks the first in the area this year.

Mayor Eric Adams announces new unit to tackle gun violence

06:00 , Rachel Sharp

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of a new unit to tackle gun violence on Thursday – just hours after the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Azsia Johnson.

The DNA Gun Crimes Unit will speed up gun crime analysis, with forensic experts able to provide DNA results in half the current time of 60 days.

A staggering $2.5m is being channeled into the new unit, which will be overseen by New York City’s medical examiner’s office.

In a press conference announcing the unit’s launch, the mayor said it will play a “major role” in tackling gun violence in the city.

“This is a central part of our apparatus in fighting gun violence and sometime we missed this piece but without this piece, we can’t take guns off our streets and deal with people who are dangerous to our city,” he said.

Data shows spike in crimes in NYC but shootings down

07:00 , Rachel Sharp

The latest data released by the NYPD shows that crime has surged in New York City in the last year but that the number of shootings has actually fallen.

A total of 58,417 crimes were reported across the five boroughs in the year ending 26 June 2022 – a rise of 37.8 percent from 42,383 crimes reported in the same period in 2021.

However the number of shootings is down by 12.1 percent from 710 to 624 in the same timeframe.

The number of shooting victims has also fallen by 8.6 percent in the last year from 817 in 2021 to 747 in 2022.

NYC mayor blames blames 'oversaturation of guns'

08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

New York mayor Eric Adams has blamed the “oversaturation of guns” after a 20-year-old mother was shot dead while she was pushing her three-month-old toddler in a stroller.

“It doesn’t matter if you are on the Upper East Side or East New York. The oversaturation of guns endangers people and repeatedly leaves our criminal justice system to continue actions like this,” Mr Adams said.

“It is what is making New York City Police Department and other law enforcement agencies here in New York and across the country difficult to fight this issue.”

Watch:

Eric Adams blames ‘oversaturation of guns’ after 20-year-old mother shot dead

Police say baby's father is person of interest in fatal shooting of Azsia Johnson

09:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The father of the three-month-old baby being pushed in a stroller when the child’s mother was killed in an execution-style shooting in Manhattan’s Upper East Side has been identified as a person of interest in the murder, according to police sources and family members.

The man – who has not been publicly named – had allegedly assaulted the victim while she was pregnant and she was unsure if she now wanted him in their child’s life, law enforcement officials said.

Rachel Sharp reports:

Baby’s father is person of interest in killing of mother on Upper East Side: report

ICYMI: Domestic violence victim named as mother shot dead on Upper East Side

10:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

An aspiring nurse and young mother-of-two has been identified as the woman who was shot dead at point-blank range while pushing her baby in a stroller through the Upper East Side of Manhattan on Wednesday night.

Ms Johnson’s mother Lisa Desort said her daughter had been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her baby’s father and that the family had filed multiple reports to the police – but that authorities had failed to protect her.

Rachel Sharp has more:

Azsia Johnson named as mother shot dead while pushing stroller on Upper East Side