Ex-College Football Player Killed His Mom After Mistaking Her For Intruder
By Jason Hall
March 11, 2024
The attorney for a former college football player accused of killing his own mother claims his client mistook her for a home intruder.
Jaylen Johnson, 25, was charged with voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action following the death of his mother, Monica McNichols-Johnson last Thursday (March 7), his attorney, William Goldstein, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sunday (March 10). Johnson reportedly believed his mother was an intruder attempting to enter the Olivette, Missouri, home they shared through the back door at around 7:30 a.m.
Goldstein said Jaylen immediately called 911 after shooting his mother and has been distraught ever since the incident took place.
“He hasn’t stopped crying,” Goldstein said via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Police said Monica was pronounced dead at the scene despite attempted life-saving efforts by her son's girlfriend. Jaylen is currently being held at St. Louis County Jail on a $100,000 bond, according to an update shared by the Olivette Police Department on its Facebook account last Thursday.
Please see the updated media release regarding the shooting which occurred on Huron Drive earlier this morning:
Posted by Olivette Police Department on Thursday, March 7, 2024
"Although charges have been issued, this is an ongoing investigation, and no further information will be released at this time. The city of Olivette is saddened by this tragic incident and offer our sincere condolences to the loved ones of Monica Johnson-McNichols."
Johnson is a former college football player, though no media outlet specified which college he attended, and has no criminal history. The 25-year-old was reported to have kept a gun for protection after previously being the victim of an armed robbery.