‘Kindhearted’ teen shot, killed in DeKalb church parking lot

Omar Johnson

Omar Johnson

A 19-year-old was shot and killed Monday night in a church parking lot near Lithonia, police said.

The shooter is on the run and the victim’s sister is devastated, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The teenager, identified as Omar Johnson, often used the Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church parking lot as a shortcut to get back to the subdivision where he lived, his sister said.

The sister asked the news station to conceal her identity.

DeKalb County police are investigating after a shooting left a teen dead near Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

The shooting happened about 9:15 p.m. Monday in the 3800 block of Big Miller Grove Way, DeKalb County police spokeswoman Shiera Campbell said.

Three of the teen’s friends were with Johnson when he was shot in the chest after some sort of confrontation, Campbell said. He died on the scene.

His sister told Channel 2 that Johnson was outgoing, happy and “full of life.” He had recently graduated from high school.

“He was kindhearted,” she said. “He’d give anybody anything.”

Police don’t have a motive or suspects identified, but witness Daniel Taylor told Channel 2 he heard four gunshots. Taylor works in the area as a basketball coach and was unable to sleep when he heard about the homicide.

“Thinking about somebody’s parents,” he said, “gotta wake up and your kid is dead ...”

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