'The community has not forgotten:' RPD seeks help in closing Maplewood Park shooting investigation
Jan 16, 2025
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) - It's been nearly four months since a suspect was identified in July's deadly shooting at Maplewood Park in Rochester.
While the Rochester Police Department is actively working on leads in their investigation, there is a continued call on the community to help make an arrest.
Police have named 20-year-old Niger Johnson as among those responsible for firing shots at the park on July 28. Up to 50 gunshots erupted at a summer barbecue gathering that day.
Five people were injured. 25-year-old Tyasia Manning and 33-year-old Phylicia Council, both of Rochester, were killed.
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Johnson is wanted on charges of reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon in connection to the shooting.
Police say they are still missing information to formally arrest Johnson and believe others are responsible.
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"We put his name out back at the end of September. We put his picture out there looking for community help. We've had a few leads and a few tips that unfortunately haven't panned out. I've been asked multiple times over the last several months about this case because it was a huge community event. It was a significant violent event where two people lost their lives," said RPD Capt. Greg Bello.
As the department works to bring justice for the victims and their families, Capt. Bello addressed more questions in the investigation.
"It's not only identifying people, but identifying and attaching them to crimes committed during this incident. That's difficult because there's a lot of people involved. There's a lot of video there and there's a lot of questions like, 'Where did bullets go? What did people do or not do in recovering guns?' We don't want this to run cold. We don't want people to forget, and people in our community have not forgotten," said Capt. Bello.
Anyone with information that could lead police to an arrest is asked to call 911 or Crimestoppers at (585) 423-9300, where tips can remain anonymous.