Mayor Eric Adams hugged a grieving mother at a vigil on the Upper East Side Thursday night after her daughter was shot while pushing her 3-month-old baby in a stroller.
Adams spoke with a devastated Lisa Desort as mourners gathered near the scene of the Wednesday night shooting that claimed the life of 20-year-old Asia Johnson.
The mayor could be seen embracing Desort before the pair addressed the crowd of mourners gathered for the candlelight vigil.
Mayor Eric Adams speaks with grieving Lisa Desort Thursday night at a vigil for her slain daughter Asia Johnson on the Upper East Side. Paul Martinka The mayor hugged the victim’s emotional mother before the pair addressed mourners at the candlelight vigil. Paul Martinka Asia Johnson, 20, was shot and killed shortly before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday while walking her baby girl in a stroller near the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 95th Street.
At one point, Adams was seen comforting Johnson’s crying 7-year-old niece, who was wearing a dress given to her by her murdered aunt.
Johnson was killed shortly before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday while walking her baby girl in a stroller near the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 95th Street.
She was allegedly abused by the baby’s father in the past — and the man was wanted for questioning by police after the shooting, law enforcement and family sources told The Post Thursday.
Sources said Johnson’s execution-style killing was “domestic” in nature. A senior police source told The Post that “she was targeted… He was shot at close range in the head and had gunpowder burns.”
During the vigil, a grief-stricken Desort demanded that the city and the police take domestic violence cases more seriously.
“[I]It’s not guns, it’s people shooting guns,” she said, adding that Adams is doing everything she can to tackle crime in the Big Apple.
“It’s about taking domestic violence seriously[ly].”
Adams comforted Johnson’s crying 7-year-old niece at the vigil Thursday night. Paul Martinka The victim’s 7-year-old niece was wearing a dress given to her by her murdered aunt. Paul Martinka Johnson’s heartbroken mother told those gathered at her daughter’s vigil that the city and cops need to take domestic violence cases more seriously.Paul Martinka
Adams went on to say that the latest shooting felt personal because he had previously worked with Desort when she was an EMT in the city and he was an NYPD officer.
“It hits so close to home,” Adams said.
As of Friday morning, no arrests had been made.
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