“It’s living hell,” Charmaine Johnson told reporters after a police news conference Monday. “I wake up every day and it’s like a nightmare I’m living in.”
Life hasn't been the same since Johnson's 16-year old son, Brandon, was killed in what appears to be a random shooting on State Route 54.
“I wake up and my son’s gone,” Johnson said.
Brandon and three other teenagers including his closest friend 15-year old Donnell Davis, Jr., of San Diego, were in a car traveling eastbound on State Route 54 the way home from a night of bowling on March 16, 2008 when, just east of the Briarwood exit, someone in a car traveling in the same direction opened fire on the car causing the driver to lose control and crash.
Three of the teenagers were shot. Donnell and Brandon died from their wounds.
On Monday, San Diego County Sheriff's Lt. Dennis Brugos announced $50,000 has been added to the reward for information leading to the arrest, conviction and sentencing of those involved in the shooting that took the lives of the teens.
The bowling alley, Brunswick Premier Lanes in Chula Vista, is the only thing they have to go on right now, Brugos said. The killings could be completely random, unrelated to anything that may have happened at the bowling alley.
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“This could very well be a case of mistaken identity,” said Brugos.
Kiesha Davis, Donnell' s mom, was also present at Monday's news conference but didn't speak.
Both Brugos and Johnson dismissed ideas that the teenagers were running with the wrong crowd.
“My son didn’t roll with gangs at all,” said Johnson. “He was a good kid, they had dreams. They wanted to be football players, play sports. All they did pretty much was play video games, MySpace, talk with their girlfriends. They weren’t affiliated or hanging out with gang members at all.”
The survivors were unable to describe the vehicle driven by the shooter. The detectives hope the increased reward money will trigger some new leads. They’re hoping someone was driving along SR 54 at the time and saw something or perhaps learned something in a conversation after the murders.
“From one mother to another mother out there, if you have any information do the right thing and come forward,” Johnson said. “I need help to get these murderers off the streets.”
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000, and the Governor's
Office is offering a reward of up to $50,000.
Crime Stoppers' reward is paid on arrest; the Governor's Award is paid on arrest, conviction and sentencing.
Anyone with information on the identity and or location of the person/persons responsible for this crime is asked to call Sheriff's Homicide Unit at (858) 974-2321 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.
Anonymous email and text messages can be sent in via www.sdcrimestoppers.com.
