‘Turn yourself in’: Families of Maplewood Park shooting victims have message for suspect
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Seven weeks after the deadly mass shooting at Rochester’s Maplewood Park, the families of the two women killed are asking the public to help find a suspect named by police.
“I just hope whoever is hiding him or whoever is doing anything, that he is captured and caught,” said Laquita Roundheart, the mother of Tyasia Manning, one of the victims.
“You need to turn yourself in because there are a lot of families out here grieving,” said Alex Reese Council, the father of Phylicia Council, the other victim.
On Wednesday, Rochester police asked the public to help find Niger Johnson, who they say was one of the people shooting on that day. Roundheart and Council want the public to do the right thing and speak up if they know something about this suspect.
“This guy Niger, he’s a coward first and foremost because he won’t come forward. You don’t want this type of pain that I have losing a daughter, so you want to get him off the streets as fast as possible,” Council said.
Police say they’re not alleging that any of the bullets that Johnson shot hit anyone. Nine different guns were fired in that shooting, and police identified at least 16 people carrying guns in the park that evening.
Council is asking the public to spread the word and share any pictures they have. “It’s not about snitch or no snitch; the bigger picture is it could be your child — your daughter, your son next,” he said.
He’s praying, trusting, and waiting — words his daughter wrote to him four years ago. He vows for justice for Phylicia and the others hurt. It’s something he hears her say spiritually every day.
“She’s like ‘dad, do it– get them, dad. You know what they done to me, dad, you got to get them, you got to help find them, dad,” Council said.
Roundheart is also grieving, left with hurt and anger.
“What if that was your sister or your brother or any of your family members — you would want justice too,” she said.
Now that police have released the suspect’s name, Roundheart believes that he can’t hide forever.
“Turn yourself in because you don’t know if your gun hit anybody — and don’t be scared, you weren’t scared to be out there running around with a gun shooting at women and children,” she said.
Phylicia Council’s father has set up a GoFundMe to reward anyone who gives information to police that leads to an arrest of those responsible for the mass shooting. Anyone with information can call 911 or CrimeStoppers at 585-423-9300.
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Here is the wanted poster: