Tag: school shooting

Federal court jury convicts Jonesboro school shooter:

Mitchell Johnson was convicted today on federal weapons charges. The best part is that the prosecution didn’t even bring up Jonesboro to do it.

Government lawyers did not bring up Johnson’s violent past. The only clue during the two-day trial came during jury selection, when potential panelists were asked one-by-one whether Johnson’s name sounded familiar.

The husband and son of one of his victims attended the trial…

Mitch Wright, the widower of a teacher killed March 25, 1998, watched Tuesday’s court session along with his son Zane, who was 2 at the time of the shootings and is now 12. Wright said the boy “wanted to see what this person looked like.”

Johnson will be sentenced within the next 45 days. He’s looking at a 10-year maximum.

Weapons trial begins for Jonesboro school shooter Johnson:

The federal weapons trial for Jonesboro shooter Mitchell Johnson started earlier today.

In opening statements, the prosecution stated that Johnson is a heavy marijuana user and had a nickel-plated 9mm in his possession at the time of the traffic stop on New Year’s Day 2007.

The defense says that Johnson was pulled over on a bogus tip that Johnson was in possession of 100 pounds of marijuana, and that police were looking for any reason to pull him over.

The article also contained this little gem of information…

Johnson left prison with an “adjudicated” record _ meaning he could own firearms.

I really hope the state of Arkansas closed that loophole too when they fixed the law that allowed Johnson and his cohort Andrew Golden to be released.

The cop that pulled Johnson over testified that he saw Johnson driving erratically but admitted that he was looking for a legal reason to pull Johnson over.

I’ll admit the evidence against him seems pretty flimsy, but Johnson should have never set foot out of jail in my opinion.

Thanks to everyone who sent in tips.

New Trial to Begin for School Shooter:

It seems that Jonesboro shooter Mitchell Johnson was on his way to California to make a new life for himself. Too bad he got caught traveling with another convicted murderer, and marijuana, and a gun.

“Honest to God, I’m just trying to get to Cali, man,” Johnson told deputies as they searched the loaded-down, 1980s Ford van at a Fayetteville convenience store. The incident was recorded on video.

Awwww…isn’t that cute?

And it seems that he had just received the gun prior to his arrest on New Year’s Day 2007.

Johnson lived in North Carolina and California for a while. He even returned to Jonesboro over Christmas 2006, where Craighead County Sheriff Jack McCann had warned that deputies “couldn’t guarantee” the safety of either him or Golden.

He received a silver 9 mm Lorein pistol as a present and practiced “target shooting” near the city.

Who in the blue hell thought it was a good idea to give a convicted school shooter and murderer another gun?

Since he had already lived in California and returned to Arkansas, it proves the old adage. You can’t go home again. Or maybe that should be, you shouldn’t go home again.

Jonesboro Shooter Wants Statements Suppressed:

The attorney for Jonesboro gunman Mitchell Johnson wants statements Johnson made to police to be thrown out.

Jack Schisler, assistant federal public defender, made the motion Monday in U.S. District Court. Schisler argued that Johnson was not read his Miranda rights before police began questioning him following a traffic stop. Schisler said Johnson made incriminating statements about his use of marijuana during the questioning.

So, police have to read everybody Miranda rights when they get pulled over for a traffic violation? Spare me.

Schisler contends Johnson was actually placed in custody, handcuffed and locked in the back seat of a patrol car, and questioned by police numerous times during a search of the vehicle. The exchanges were recorded by cameras in the police cars and on officers’ microphones.

Being held in custody and being under arrest are two different things, but I’ll give him points for trying.

If you’ll remember, Johnson was arrested on New Year’s Day 2007 for being in possession of drugs and a weapon. The city turned over the case to the feds, who are trying him on federal weapons charges.

No word yet on when the trial is due to start.

Wal-Mart says holiday crowds, not threats, reason for police:

I received an e-mail the other day from a nice reader from Fayetteville, Arkansas who said she received an e-mail stating that Wal-Mart was increasing its security because Jonesboro gunman Mitchell Johnson was planning an attack on the store. It was alleged in the e-mail that Johnson was recently fired from there and that his girlfriend left him.

I said to the reader that I doubt Johnson was planning anything because after his New Years Day arrest on weapons charges I would think that local law enforcement and the feds are probably keeping a close eye on him.

Now, this article confirms it that Wally World just requested additional security for the Christmas season.

Police Sgt. Matt Partain confirmed that Johnson was formerly employed by the store but was terminated months ago. He further confirmed that Johnson’s girlfriend is a current Wal-Mart employee.

“Yes his girlfriend works there, but we haven’t even seen him there since we’ve been there,” he said.

Partain said Johnson is not believed to have had any involvement in a recent bomb threat at the Wal-Mart in north Fayetteville.

So the people of Fayetteville have nothing to fear at Wal-Mart except the usual, other Wal-Mart shoppers.