MIAMI – A high school basketball standout and recent Marine Corps enlistee is now paralyzed after a shooting in Miami that his family believes was a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Neamiah Johnson, a senior at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, was helping his mother clean out her car Monday night when he was shot around 10 p.m. in the West Little River neighborhood, according to his family.
“He was just getting out of my car like he always do,” Naytalia Johnson, his mother told Local 10 News on Thursday. “Just so helpful. He was cleaning out my car and someone shot him down, and he was saying, ‘Mommy, help me,’ and I ... I couldn’t help him.”
Neamiah, who is described by family and his pastor as a selfless and humble honor roll student with no history of trouble, is now in a trauma unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital, paralyzed from the waist down.
“He is stable, but still in disbelief,” his Naytalia Johnson said. “He’s asking, ‘Why me?’”
Pastor Gaston Smith, a longtime family friend, said Neamiah had just enlisted in the Marines last week and was looking forward to graduation and serving his country.
“Here is a young man that was not in trouble, does not have any kind of criminal history,” Smith said.
“We were getting ready to prepare to have a going away party for him at graduation,” he added. “All of a sudden he is doing his duties by cleaning out his mother’s vehicle, somebody comes by and just shoots him.”
Smith confirmed that doctors have diagnosed Johnson with paralysis in all of his lower extremities.
“We do believe in miracles, but medically, he has paralysis,” Smith said. “It is devastating to the family. It is devastating to the community.”
The family says Johnson had dreams of becoming a Marine to help support them.
“He enlisted in the Marines to take care of his family,” Naytalia Johnson said. “He has never been in trouble before. He is such a selfless young man, so special, honor roll student, never made a bad grade.”
Miami-Dade police are investigating but confirmed that no arrests have been made in connection with the case.
“They have been very, very cooperative with us, but we have not gotten any leads at this point,” Smith said. “We are used to this happening with kids that have been in bad situations, but we are not used to this happening to a stellar child like this.”
Naytalia Johnson is still struggling to make sense of what happened.
“I am speechless. I am heartbroken,” she said. “I thank the Lord that he is still here though, that he is still alive.”
She added, “I would like justice for him because my baby is paralyzed and the doctors are saying he won’t walk again. I am numb because Neamiah is a great child and he didn’t deserve to be shot down like that.”
Smith said Johnson remains in good spirits despite the circumstances, describing him as “a young man of faith.” But he added, “He is devastated as well.”
Johnson remains in intensive care and has already undergone one surgery, with another planned later this week.
His family is asking for help from the community as they face what they say will be a long road to recovery involving extensive therapy, home modifications and medical equipment.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help support his recovery and care. Click here if you would like to contribute.
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.