According to Manatee County court documents, two men who are charged with killing a 46-year-old man by shooting him during a robbery attempt will serve decades in jail.
Before their planned combined trial for the 2021 death of Andre Cummins, Larry Johnson Jr., 34, and Benjamin Johnson Jr., 33, entered a plea of not guilty to charges of second-degree murder with a firearm, according to court documents.
The two men received a 25-year prison sentence from Circuit Court Judge Frederick Mercurio, with credit for time served.
In response to a request for comment from the Bradenton Herald, Larry Johnson Jr.’s attorney declined. The Bradenton Herald reached out to Benjamin Johnson Jr.’s attorney, but they did not get back to them right away.
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies reported that on July 17, 2021, they received a report regarding gunfire in Bradenton’s 5800 block of Third Street East.
The alleged shooters had left the Bradenton home where the gunshot had been reported, according to deputies who arrived there.
However, arrest records suggest that the shooting was captured on security tape.
According to the sheriff’s office, Cummins can be seen backing down the driveway with his hands raised, followed by Larry Johnson Jr. Investigators claim that Cummins looked as though he had been shot when he fell to the ground during the footage.
Detectives stated that after the shooting, surveillance footage showed Larry Johnson Jr. going into the driver’s seat of a beige Ford Taurus and Benjamin Johnson Jr. moving into the passenger seat, and the two of them driving off.
During an interview with a witness who was caught on camera, detectives learnt that robbery was the shooting’s motivation.
The witness told investigators that he was inside with Cummins playing video games just before the shooting when Benjamin Johnson Jr. entered the house brandishing two weapons, yelling at him to get down, and requesting money. The witness claimed that while he was on the ground, he heard Larry order Benjamin to shoot him. As a result, he leapt to his feet, shoved Benjamin, and fled the house.
According to arrest records, the witness also stated that he heard gunshots and heard Cummins cry out when he was hit by the bullets.
According to police records, the witness assisted in getting Cummins into a gold sedan when his brother arrived at the house a short while later.
Deputies claim to have seen the gold sedan, which fits the description of a car involved in the incident while travelling to the call. Deputies said that after the automobile was stopped, the driver informed them that his brother had been shot. Deputies reported not finding a pulse when they examined Cummins in the passenger seat.
Shortly after being transported to Manatee Memorial Hospital by deputies, Cummins succumbed to his gunshot wounds, as previously reported by the Bradenton Herald.
According to arrest papers, the witness and Cummins’ brother were both able to identify Benjamin Johnson Jr. in a photo lineup. In addition, the brother recognised Larry Johnson Jr. from a picture lineup as having been in the residence shortly before the shooting began.
The Ford Taurus, which belonged to Larry Johnson Jr., was discovered by detectives parked in a Bradenton home’s garden.
A few days after the shooting, the sheriff’s office charged Benjamin Johnson Jr. and Larry Johnson Jr. with second-degree murder after looking over the security footage and speaking with witnesses.
