A year after her 15-year-old son was shot and killed in a Southfield hotel, Tomika Alexander is still waiting for justice.
Tyler Johnson was killed on Feb. 12, 2024, during a gathering with friends.
Police recovered the gun, and multiple people were in the room when Johnson was killed, but no one has been held accountable, Alexander said Monday.
“The Southfield Police Department has more than enough evidence to close this case,” Alexander said in a written statement. “The question is, why haven’t they?”
Alexander said the case has been stalled by silence from witnesses, parents, and law enforcement. She has many questions: Why was only one person arrested, and why was that person released? Why were parents allowed to take their children from the scene before questioning. Why has the Southfield Police Department had little to no contact with Johnson’s family?
“If I don’t call them, they don’t call me,” Alexander said of the Southfield Police Department. “It seems like something is being covered up, and I refuse to let my child’s death be ignored.”
Alexander is urging the public to speak up and demand answers.
“If you are reading this, imagine sending your child to a party with people you trusted – only to never see them again,” Alexander said. “Imagine knowing who was there, knowing they have answers, yet they refuse to speak. I am fighting for justice for my son, but I’m also fighting for your future justice.”
Related Stories
Southfield police say teen’s murder remains unsolved because witnesses won’t talk
Southfield church’s gun disposal efforts spotlighted on ‘The Daily Show’
This article appears in Feb 12-18, 2025.
