16-year-old girl was hit by a stray bullet in broad daylight

A Brooklyn man was sentenced to nine years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to a shooting near Edward R. Murrow High School in Midwood that injured a 16-year-old girl.

Javan Johnson, 22, of Flatbush, was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Joanne Quinones for the October 2023 shooting, which occurred in broad daylight.

“This defendant’s unlawful decision to open fire near a school not only injured an innocent 16-year-old girl, but also destroyed the sense of safety that every student, parent and community member deserves,” District Attorney said Eric Gonzalez.

“No young person should ever have to fear gunfire while walking home from school, and no community should have to endure the trauma of such senseless violence,” Gonzalez added. “Brooklyn recently experienced its safest summer from gun violence on record, and we remain committed to building on this progress.

According to prosecutors, around 12 p.m. on October 6, 2023, Johnson opened fire at East 16th Street and Avenue M, just around the corner from Edward R. Murrow High School. He aimed at a rival across the street but instead hit the young girl as she was walking home. Johnson fired at least 10 shots before fleeing the scene after handing the gun to another person.

The victim was taken to a local hospital with severe bleeding and a broken ankle. She has since recovered, but the incident left both physical and emotional scars.

Johnson pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree assault on September 5, 2024. In addition to his nine-year prison sentence, he will be under supervision for five years following his release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bianca Kushner of the Green Zone Trial Bureau under the supervision of Assistant Bureau Chiefs Michael Boykin and Lana Schlesinger and Bureau Chief Frank DeGaetano.