Update: Johnson Hospitalized After Shooting
Loretta Hunt Jul 5, 2009
Heavyweight Lavar
Johnson was shot in the abdomen by an unidentified assailant at
12:34 a.m. PST on July 5 in Bakersfield, Calif., according to a
news release distributed by the Bakersfield Police Dept.
The Bakersfield Californian was the first to report on the incident.
Johnson’s trainer and manager, Bob Cook,
believed his fighter was “between serious and critical condition”
on Sunday evening. Cook said he’d been told that Johnson had been
shot two times –- once in the back and abdomen and once in his
chest.
Cook, who oversees Johnson’s career at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., told Sherdog.com he was en route to the local hospital where Johnson was being treated.
Three others were reportedly shot and sent to local hospitals for care for minor to moderate wounds. A fourth man, Anthony Mack Johnson, reportedly died at the scene from multiple shots.
It is not known if the deceased was a relation of the fighter.
The shooter, who was believed to have been accompanied by another male and a female, fled the scene and has not been located. It is unknown if he had any connection to the gathering.
A Bakersfield Police Dept. representative said the incident has been classified as an “ongoing investigation” and that no further details would be made public other than the press release.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said Johnson had been scheduled to compete at the promotion’s next event on Aug. 15 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Coker said negotiations has been underway to match Johnson against British brawler James Thompson.
Coker said he’d been told that Johnson was to undergo surgery shortly.
“He was definitely one of the guys we identified to move up into the big shows,” said Coker. “He has power and a lot of potential in our eyes. He’s in a real fight now and I hope he can make it through now for himself and his family.”
A WEC and PFC heavyweight prospect, Johnson (12-3) knocked out Carl Seumanutafa at Strikeforce’s Challenger Series on May 15 in Fresno, Calif. The victory was Johnson’s fifth in a row by first-round stoppage.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 11:28 p.m. EST to include additional information.
The Bakersfield Californian was the first to report on the incident.
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Cook, who oversees Johnson’s career at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., told Sherdog.com he was en route to the local hospital where Johnson was being treated.
Johnson, 32, was reportedly attending a family reunion outside a
private residence when “a black male in his late teens” that had
been “walking past the residence” discharged a semi-automatic
handgun multiple times into the crowd, said the release.
Three others were reportedly shot and sent to local hospitals for care for minor to moderate wounds. A fourth man, Anthony Mack Johnson, reportedly died at the scene from multiple shots.
It is not known if the deceased was a relation of the fighter.
The shooter, who was believed to have been accompanied by another male and a female, fled the scene and has not been located. It is unknown if he had any connection to the gathering.
A Bakersfield Police Dept. representative said the incident has been classified as an “ongoing investigation” and that no further details would be made public other than the press release.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said Johnson had been scheduled to compete at the promotion’s next event on Aug. 15 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Coker said negotiations has been underway to match Johnson against British brawler James Thompson.
Coker said he’d been told that Johnson was to undergo surgery shortly.
“He was definitely one of the guys we identified to move up into the big shows,” said Coker. “He has power and a lot of potential in our eyes. He’s in a real fight now and I hope he can make it through now for himself and his family.”
A WEC and PFC heavyweight prospect, Johnson (12-3) knocked out Carl Seumanutafa at Strikeforce’s Challenger Series on May 15 in Fresno, Calif. The victory was Johnson’s fifth in a row by first-round stoppage.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 11:28 p.m. EST to include additional information.
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