Witnesses Recount Night of Fatal Shooting in Vivid Detail

By Emily Nordberg - March 5, 2025
Daily Stories | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Three witnesses testified in dramatic detail about what they say they saw the night of a fatal shooting in an ongoing trial before DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson on March 3. One witness recounted being spattered with blood during the violent encounter.

Guy Johnson, 57, is charged with first-degree murder premeditated while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his alleged involvement in the murder of 28-year-old Kriston Robinson on March 25, 2020, on the 1600 block of 19th Street, SE.

The prosecution called a witness who lived in a building overlooking the scene of the incident to testify about what she saw and review body-worn camera footage of her statements to the responding officers.

The witness said she woke up to the sound of gunshots at 3 a.m. and saw a white car slowly roll before crashing into a curb. She testified she also saw one individual get out of the car and run away with a gun while another got out and walked in the other direction.

The witness reviewed the body-worn camera footage showing her estimating the height of the person was relative to the fence in her backyard. Officers suggested a possible height range of five-feet-six-inches to five-feet-seven-inches. 

During cross-examination, defense attorney Charlotte Gilliand questioned the witness’ ability to clearly see what she believed was a gun. The witness admitted that she only peeked through the blinds out of fear and never fully opened them, acknowledging she couldn’t be certain it wasn’t something else.

Prosecutors called a DC Special Police Officer (SPO) to testify about identifying Johnson as a suspect. The officer, who works security in elite housing developments said he had known the defendant for years and saw him nearly every day in the apartment building where he worked.

The witness confirmed his identification of the defendant from a photo shown to him in April 2024 during grand jury proceedings and later made an in-court identification. He also identified Johnson as one of the individuals shown in security camera footage from another building.

The prosecution called an eyewitness, Robinson’s cousin, to testify about his timeline of events on the day of the incident.

Robinson’s cousin testified that he was in a white car with her when the shooting occurred and explained that after drinking throughout the night, he was driving until Robinson drove them to Minnesota Avenue, a location the witness knew as a place frequented by sex workers.

The witness admitted to having interacted with a sex worker and explained that he had been drinking and hanging out by a bus stop on Minnesota Avenue. CCTV footage from the area shows him walking along the sidewalk with a cup, drinking while waiting for Robinson to pick him up.

According to the witness, he saw a group of people talking who got into the passenger side of a red or orange car and leave. Robinson then arrived to pick him up and he got into the white vehicle, as shown on Ring camera footage. The witness said he was playing music and finishing his cup of liquor while Kriston was on the phone, until they started to leave, at which point he heard gunshots and the car rolled into the curb.

The witness testified that he did not see the shooter but saw flashes from the gun and was uncertain about the number of shooters. He stated that he knew Robinson was injured because her blood splattered on his face and he described trying to lift up her leg to switch gears and drive away, but was unsuccessful. He also admitted that he hesitated getting out of the car because he was in shock and intoxicated.

The witness described getting out of the car, running through different backyards, and hopping fences to get away. He made phone calls to family members, one of whom picked him up and brought him to the homicide branch to be interviewed by detectives. The witness admitted he was under duress during the interview, adding that he was still under the influence of alcohol.

Police footage showed the witness in torn clothes with a blood-spattered face with blood spatter, illustrating evidence from the incident remained intact. During the interview, photos were taken of the witness’ face with blood on it, his torn clothes, and the injuries to his hands and stomach sustained from jumping over fences.

The witness cooperated with officers during the interview, granting them access to his phone. He also allowed the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) to collect samples of the blood on his face and DNA swabs.

During cross-examination, the witness confirmed his description of the shooter as 230 to 240 pounds and stated he couldn’t determine the height, though he wasn’t short. He also testified that he went to Minnesota Avenue seeking sex and didn’t get into a disagreement or altercation with anyone in the area.

Defense attorney Kevin Mosley questioned whether the witness believed he may have been the possible target of the shooting, noting that it is difficult to see through the car’s side windows at night because of the tint. The witness answered that the “whole night was random” and that he didn’t think he was the target, as he hadn’t been involved in any arguments or stare-offs.

The witness explained that he waited until the shooter left the area before running away, stating he couldn’t confirm where the shooter went afterwards. He also mentioned ducking at the sound of gunshots, preventing him from seeing the shooter’s face. 

Trial is slated to resume March 4.