20 Year Old Mother Gunned Down In Cold Blood While Pushing Her Baby In Stroller In NYC, Her Abusive Ex-Boyfriend Is Prime Suspect

On Wednesday night, a 20-year-old woman pushing a baby stroller was shot and killed on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The baby is reportedly unharmed, and police have since released the victim’s name: Azsia Johnson.

The attack occurred around 8:20 p.m. on 95th Street and Lexington Avenue. Preliminary investigations show the woman was shot once in the head at “very close range” before the shooter, a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants, escaped on foot. The woman, who officials have confirmed was the mother of the 3-month-old baby in the stroller, was reportedly temporarily living at a nearby women’s shelter. Investigators used domestic incident reports, which also name her, a few former boyfriends, and a second child who wasn’t with her when she was shot, to identify her 3-month-old.

Johnson’s mother, Lisa DeSort, says her daughter wanted to be a pediatric nurse and loved kids. She told the New York Times that Johnson’s ex physically abused her during her pregnancy. “She called me crying, saying, ‘Mommy, he’s hitting me.’ And she was hysterical,” DeSort recalled of one fight, which DeSort said she reported to the police.

“He said, ‘I’m going to kill you and all of the birds that go along with you.’” Speaking to NBC 4 New York, DeSort indicated that law enforcement was unable to locate Johnson’s baby’s father. “She was on maternity leave with this baby,” DeSort said. “He kept harassing her, and threatening my life and my younger daughter’s life.”