HOUSTON, TX – The “main sniper” for a local gang, was sentenced to life in prison Monday for the murder of a Lamar High School student, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.
“Kendrick Johnson participated in at least seven murders. It is hard to believe somebody this young could be this vicious, but the evidence showed he loved to kill and our streets and social media were his playground,” Ogg said. “He seemed to be striving for celebrity status in the gang world by killing as many people as possible.”
Kendrick Johnson, 21, was sentenced by a jury after being convicted of murder last week in the shooting death of 18-year-old DeLindsey Mack on Nov. 13, 2018.
The brutal slaying, just yards from Lamar, was the result of a war between two gangs, according to prosecutors. Mack’s parents found out after the shooting that their son had described himself on social media as a gang member, which led to him being targeted. Mack was actually known by many to be an outstanding football player, and had recently transferred from Yates High School to escape gang violence.
“Kendrick Johnson is the most dangerous gang member I’ve ever prosecuted. He killed for sport and earned every year of his life sentence,” said Assistant District Attorney Sarah Seely shortly after the jury had completed its work.
“He hunted rival gang members and there plenty of unintended victims, as bullets don’t have names on them” said Seely, who along with Assistant District Attorney Maroun Koutani, prosecuted the case for the Organized Crime and Gangs Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Johnson even staked out the funerals of rivals that he had killed to look for more targets, according to evidence presented during the week-long trial.
Investigators testified that a teenage girl who Mack was interested in dating lured him to a church parking lot near the River Oaks campus as he walked to meet his ride home after school.
Witnesses testified that a black car with a garbage bag covering a passenger side window pulled up to Mack, and two men got out and started shooting. After he fell, one gunman stood over him and fired more rounds. Mack died after being shot seven times.
The teenage girl, Keona Mouton, has also been charged with his murder and her case is pending.
“We would like to thank Judge Chuck Silverman for bringing this case to trial,” Ogg said. “It is so crucial to present these cases to juries and we thank each of the jurors for their service in this trial.”
Johnson was tried as the shooter and the mastermind. Dave’on Thomas, 18, the accused getaway driver, and Mouton will have separate trials. The second shooter has yet to be apprehended. If you have any information on this case, authorities urge you to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
The case was investigated by the Houston Police Department.
