PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Tuesday marks one year since a stray bullet barreled through the Johnson family’s home on Allard Road. It struck their 22-year-old special needs daughter Alaejah in the head, killing her instantly.
“I never thought that I would lose a child like this,” said Mary Johnson, Alaejah’s mother, during a conversation with me ahead of the grim anniversary. “I just hope that [whoever knows who is responsible] has it in their heart to see it from our end.”
Electronic billboards calling for information in Alaejah’s death are on display across Hampton Roads. However, police tell me they have yet to make an arrest.
“[Alaejah] showed love, expressed love, and wanted nothing in return,” said Rashed Johnson, Alaejah’s father. “I want [the person who killed her] to know how big of an impact they had by doing what they did.”
I’ve kept in contact with the Johnson family in the year since Alaejah’s death. I met them last year not long after Alaejah died, and they showed me the bullet’s path through their home, and where it ended Alaejah’s life.
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The bullet struck Alaejah — who was welcoming her father home to join the family’s birthday celebration for her younger brother — in the head.
I met the family again at a prom event for special needs people held in Alaejah’s honor. We came together another time earlier this month to talk about how much they’ve missed their daughter in the last year, and the ongoing search for her killer as the anniversary of Alaejah’s death nears.
Her father told me his daughter was “a genuine soul that loved everybody.”
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When I reached out to Portsmouth police about Alaejah’s case, a spokesperson said the electronic billboards they put up over the summer have not generated any leads. The spokesperson reiterated that Alaejah was the innocent victim of an incident outside of her home that had nothing to do with her, her family or her siblings.
“I just want [the killer] to understand what they did [and] what they took away from this family,” her father said.
Portsmouth detectives urge anyone with information about Alaejah Johnson’s death to call them at 757–393–8536 or the Crime Line at 1–888-LOCK-U-UP. You can also reach the Crime Line at **TIPS (**8477), or submit an anonymous tip through the Crime Line’s “P3 Tips” app or www.portscrimeline.com. Crime Line tipsters are never asked to give their name or required to testify in court. If a caller’s tip leads to an arrest, they could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
