The victim of a fatal shooting on Tuesday night was identified by San Francisco authorities as 24-year-old Tertron Johnson, who was killed the night of a block party held in Visitacion Valley.
Johnson was killed just minutes after officers responded to a separate shooting in the Sunset District, which resulted in the death of 22-year-old S.F. State graduate Samantha Emge.
According to videos posted to Instagram, Johnson and his friends were attending a block party held at Sunnydale, a public housing complex that has historically held one of the highest homicide rates in San Francisco. But in recent years, that number has dropped to a record low.
Johnson and his friends were filming a music video. They crowded together in front of a camera as attendees happily danced with drinks in hand, and children jumped up and down in a bouncy castle.
Just hours later, officers responded at 10:43 p.m. to the sound of gunfire, and found Johnson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics attempted to render aid and transferred Johnson to a nearby hospital where he later died.
Friends and family are mourning his loss. In a subsequent post to Instagram, a user uploaded a photo of a candlelit vigil and of star-shaped balloons released into the sky. Friends spelled out his nickname, “Troop,” in tealights, next to prayer candles emblazoned with the photos of other young men. Next to a framed photo of Johnson, his friends had placed his own candle.
In videos posted to his TikTok account, Johnson showed a love for rap music. He posted multiple videos the weeks leading up to his death mouthing the words to songs riding along in cars, laughing with his friends. One day before his death, Johnson posted a photo of the skyline above Cesar Chavez Boulevard set to music.
Johnson’s death is the eighth gun-related death so far this year including the death of Emge, a major uptick from last year’s 70-year record low.
On Thursday, San Francisco authorities announced that Nation Wood was arrested in connection to the death of Emge — but no arrest has yet been made in this case. Social media accounts have alleged that the shooting was gang-related, though the San Francisco police department has not released any further information supporting these claims. If suspected to be gang-related violence, the police department’s Community Violence Reduction Team will spend the next several weeks focusing on preventing retaliatory violence.
“This loss is devastating, especially since we have seen a decline in homicides within the last few years,” said Supervisor Shamann Walton, who represents the neighborhood. “Losing someone in community to senseless violence is tragic for all communities.”
Walton and his office have been in ongoing discussions with the Ingleside Station captain, Gerald Newbeck, as the department investigates Johnson’s death. The Street Violence Intervention Program and the nonprofit, Young Community Developers, are working to prevent retaliatory violence and connect Johnson’s family to victim services, Walton said.