A Milwaukee woman accused of fatally shooting a 14-year-old boy appeared in court on Wednesday, August 21, for her initial hearing. Zariah Johnson, 22, faces charges of first-degree reckless homicide and use of a dangerous weapon in connection with the death of Alijah Golden-Richmond.
The tragic incident occurred on the afternoon of August 15 near 39th and Vliet Streets. According to the criminal complaint, Johnson witnessed a group of teenagers breaking her sister’s car window near their home on 37th Street. In response, she grabbed her mother’s handgun and fired warning shots in an attempt to scare them off.
However, Johnson’s actions escalated when she got into a vehicle and pursued the teens, continuing to fire shots as she chased them. Golden-Richmond was struck in the back and later died at a hospital from his injuries.
During her initial court appearance, Johnson remained largely expressionless as prosecutors outlined the events that led to the fatal shooting. The state requested a high cash bail, arguing that the safety of the community needed to keep Johnson in custody.
Johnson’s public defender highlighted that, apart from a juvenile incident, she has no prior criminal record. The defense also noted that Johnson is currently pregnant and serves as the primary guardian for two other children.
In her statement to detectives, Johnson insisted that she never intended to kill anyone, explaining that her goal was merely to frighten the teens. Investigators recovered five shell casings from the scene, and they believe that the group of teenagers was unarmed at the time of the incident.
The judge set Johnson’s cash bail at $150,000. If convicted, she could face up to 65 years in prison. Johnson is scheduled to return to court on August 28 at 1:30 p.m. for her next hearing.