Minnesota teen Yaseen Johnson shot dead over Balenciaga sneakers
A Minnesota high school student was shot dead, allegedly by a 19-year-old man, after they got into a fight over a pair of Balenciaga sneakers, authorities said.
Augustus Sirleaf was charged this week with second-degree murder after 17-year-old Yaseen Johnson was found with multiple fatal gunshot wounds in Plymouth earlier this month.
Johnson, a Rogers High School student, had been trying to buy a pair of the high-end sneakers from the suspect at the time, according to a criminal complaint obtained by KARE 11.
Police said the slain teen and his friend had been waiting in an SUV outside an apartment complex to buy the sneakers from Sirleaf and two others on Nov. 14.
After getting into the back of the SUV, Sirleaf allegedly gave Johnson one of the shoes and took half the cash from the teen while he looked the sneakers over, cops said.
Johnson then agreed to buy the sneakers and handed over the rest of the cash.
Sirleaf, however, allegedly demanded the victim hand back the shoe — and pulled out a gun when he refused, according to police.
Johnson’s friend told police that’s when the shots were fired.
Officers responding to reports of the shooting said they found one of the designer sneakers on the ground just outside the passenger door of the SUV.
The other shoe, as well as multiple .40-caliber casings, were found inside the vehicle, police said.
Cops later tracked down one of the three men allegedly involved, who told them Sirleaf had asked him to drive him to the location so he could rob the teen victim.
In the wake of the shooting, the driver said Sirleaf got back into the car and allegedly said he had “no choice but to shoot.”
The three men then fled to Sirleaf’s nearby apartment, police said.
The man who was driving the car hasn’t been charged in the shooting and it wasn’t immediately clear if he would be.
Meanwhile, Sirleaf was arrested last Thursday and cops said they are still looking for the third suspect, whom they identified as 19-year-old Hans Madave.
