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Lawyer says Missouri man thought his mom was an intruder when he shot and killed her

Posted Sunday, March 10, 2024 5:12 pm

By The Associated Press

OLIVETTE, Mo. (AP) — A 25-year-old Missouri man has been charged with shooting and killing his mother as she tried to enter the back door of their home.

Jaylen Johnson's attorney, William Goldstein, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Johnson believed his mother was an intruder when she tried to enter the home in the St. Louis suburb of Olivette around 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

Olivette police said 56-year-old Monica McNichols-Johnson died at the house even though Johnson's girlfriend tried to help her after she was shot.

Goldstein said the 25-year-old Johnson immediately called 911 after he shot his mother, and he has been distraught ever since.

“He hasn’t stopped crying,” Goldstein said.

Prosecutors charged Johnson with manslaughter and armed criminal action, and his bail was set at $100,000.

Johnson is a former college football player who is employed and has no criminal history. Goldstein said Johnson kept a gun for protection after having been robbed at gunpoint before.

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