Three years after a pregnant Baton Rouge woman and her unborn daughter were killed in a case of mistaken identity, the family is marking what would have been her 40th birthday while continuing to seek justice.

Kerisha “Kiki” Johnson, 36, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of April 16, 2023, while sitting in her car on North Carrollton Avenue. She had gone to pick up her daughter and others from a teen party. Gunmen opened fire on her vehicle in what investigators determined was a case of mistaken identity. Johnson was nine months pregnant and just days away from giving birth to her daughter, My’Kenzie. Both mother and unborn child died.

Multiple teenagers were arrested in connection with the shooting. Among them was 18-year-old Torey (or Torrey) Campbell, who was taken into custody in July 2023 and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree feticide. Other suspects, including Marques Porch, Gregory Parker, Derrick Curry, and Desmond Robinson (all around 19 at the time), also faced charges of second-degree murder and first-degree feticide. One of the early suspects had previously worked for a local sheriff’s office.

This past weekend, Johnson’s family gathered to honor her memory on what would have been her 40th birthday. Relatives held a memorial and reflected on the lasting pain. Her father, Kevin Johnson, spoke about the ongoing grief, saying the family relies on their faith and one another to cope. He noted that every new report of gun violence brings the trauma back. Johnson’s daughter K’yannia also shared the emotional toll the loss continues to take.

Family members have said no court outcome can fully erase the pain of losing Kerisha and the baby she was about to bring into the world. They continue to advocate for accountability and remember Johnson as a devoted mother whose life was cut short in a senseless act of violence.

The case remains a painful reminder for the Baton Rouge community of the consequences of gun violence and mistaken-identity shootings.

Sources

• WAFB