He was a loving father and son who had a bright future pursuing a career in the medical field. That’s how the family of a young man killed in a shooting in Meriden on Monday is remembering him.
The family of 22-year-old Deron Johnson is holding onto his memory tightly as they mourn an unimaginable loss. Meriden police say Johnson was shot and killed on Cook Avenue in broad daylight. Johnson’s cousin, Louis L. Reed, is still processing what happened, but is trying to pay tribute to Johnson by leaving candles at the scene.
“DJ is a reflection of us. DJ is a reflection of what we want our children to be,” Reed said. “For us to be right back here planning a funeral rather than planning a future, that’s completely devastating.”
Reed says Johnson, whom they called DJ, was a loving father of a 2-year-old son and worked locally as a surgical tech. He says DJ was driven to pursue his job after losing relatives recently to cancer and other health-related issues.
“I think that catalyzes a drive in you to want to help people, and if there’s nothing else, that’s what DJ wanted to do. He wanted to help people,” Reed said.
That was evident in his personality, which Reed says was warm and friendly with a unique voice he will always remember.
“His smile. He had a voice that would rival Barry White. He just couldn’t sing like him, and he had a deep baritone voice,” Reed said.
Reed said the family believes the shooting wasn’t random and wants whoever is responsible to be held accountable.
“You didn’t just take a life, you took a life that meant something to us,” he said.
A life that had so much potential for the Johnson family.
“For DJ to take his first breath in his mother’s arms and then take his last breath in his mother’s arms, that in itself is tragic,” Reed said.
As for the investigation, there’s still no word on any suspects, but officers were at the scene for more than eight hours yesterday. Police said there’s no threat to the public.
