A teenager was sentenced Friday in the 2023 shooting death of another teen inside a gas station convenience store in Prince George’s County.
The victim, Robert Walker, and the suspect were both 16 years old at the time, and had both stopped in the Clinton store to get snacks when the shooting happened.
The suspect in the case, Stephon Johnson, got 13 years for the killing.
The victim’s family is outraged, believes the sentence wasn’t tough enough, and does not feel that justice was served.
Video from inside the convenience store, filmed in August 2023, shows Johnson shooting Walker and then Walker firing back a shot that did not hit the gunman.
Johnson, now 19 years old, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and a gun charge.
Under a plea agreement, the judge had to stick to sentencing guidelines between seven and 13 years.
The judge gave Johnson the maximum sentence, 13 years,but said the case was bothersome to her because both teenagers involved in the shooting had guns in their waistbands.
The judge made clear that Johnson fired first.
Johnson did not speak in court, but his attorney said that it was a random shooting — not targeted to Walker. His attorney also argued that Johnson himself had been shot when he was 13 years old, and suggested he needs trauma therapy.
Johnson’s attorney said he apologized, and acknowledged the family’s loss. But Walker’s family remains upset.
“No, I’m not happy at all,” said Indiara Walker, Robert Walker’s mom. “I feel like 13 years is kind of like a slap in the face, you know. My son, my kids, are everything to me. So the fact that someone’s able to take his life and only get 13 years — to me, it wasn’t justice.”
“I really miss my brother,” said Diara Whitley, Robert Walker’s sister. “I really miss being around him, and it just hurts my heart that his life was lost at such a young age, and that the rest of my life I won’t be able to be around him.”
Though Johnson’s family members were also in court for the sentencing on Friday, they did not speak.
