‘Rendezvous’: Families of Maplewood Park shooting victims have message for suspect

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Seven weeks after the deadly shooting at Maplewood Park in Rochester, the families of the two women killed are asking the public to help them find a suspect named by police.

“I just hope that whoever is hiding it or whoever is doing anything is caught and caught,” said Laquita Roundheart, the mother of Tyasia Manning, one of the victims.

“You need to come because there are a lot of families here grieving,” said Alex Reese Council, the father of Phylicia Council, the other victim.

On Wednesday, Rochester police asked the public to help them find Niger Johnson, who they believe was one of the people who fired shots that day. Roundheart and the council want the public to do the right thing and come forward if they know anything about this suspect.

“This Niger is above all a coward because he refuses to come forward. You do not want to suffer the same kind of pain as losing a daughter, so you want to get him off the street as quickly as possible,” the Council said.

Police say they are not claiming that Johnson’s bullets hit anyone. Nine different guns were used in the shooting, and police have identified at least 16 people carrying guns in the park that night.

The council is asking the public to spread the word and share any photos they have. “It’s not a question of reporting or not reporting; the issue is that it could be your child, your daughter, your son later,” he said.

He prays, trusts and waits, words his daughter wrote to him four years ago. He vows that justice will be served for Phylicia and the others who were injured. It’s something he hears her say spiritually every day.

“She said, ‘Daddy, do it, catch them, Daddy. You know what they did to me, Daddy, you gotta catch them, you gotta help find them, Daddy,'” Council said.

Roundheart is also grieving, filled with pain and anger.

“And if it was your sister, your brother or one of your family members, you would also want justice to be served,” she said.

Now that police have released the suspect’s name, Roundheart believes he can’t hide forever.

“Surrender, because you don’t know if your gun hit anyone – and don’t be afraid, you weren’t afraid to run around with a gun and shoot women and children,” she said.

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