Jimmy Edward Johnson, 21, of Erie, Pennsylvania, was fatally shot in the early hours of June 4, 2017. He was at a large party in the woods off Teepleville Flats and Eddie’s Road when, around 2:45 AM, he suffered two gunshot wounds—one to his upper right chest and another to his lower right abdomen. Friends took him to Meadville Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The Crawford County Coroner ruled the death a homicide.

Authorities arrested two Meadville men in connection with the case. Stephen Lee Kozak, 26, was charged with Criminal Homicide and held in Crawford County Prison without bond. Branden Frantz, 19, faced charges including Criminal Conspiracy, Possession of a Firearm with Altered Manufacturer’s Number, and multiple drug-related offenses; his bail was set at $500,000. State police say Kozak received a Highpoint 9mm from Frantz at the party and that Frantz tried to dispose of the weapon after the shooting. The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests were expected; law enforcement also executed a raid on a suspected methamphetamine lab in downtown Meadville, with Tyler J. Sterling-Ebert, 25, arraigned on related charges.

Johnson’s family and community continue to seek justice and closure. If anyone attended the party or has information about the handgun exchange or events that night, please come forward.