HIBBING, Minn. — A tragic shooting early Saturday morning has left the Hibbing community heartbroken after 24-year-old Parker Johnson was killed outside an apartment complex, just hours after celebrating his birthday.
According to the Hibbing Police Department, officers responded shortly after 2 a.m. to reports of shots fired near the Meadowview Apartments on the northern end of 9th Avenue West. When officers arrived, they discovered Parker in the parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Despite efforts by police and emergency medical personnel to save him, Parker was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is assisting local authorities in the ongoing homicide investigation. By Sunday afternoon, police announced they had arrested a man believed to be connected to the shooting. The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, was taken into custody without incident and is being held at the St. Louis County Jail as formal charges are prepared. Investigators say the man is cooperating with authorities.
Tragically, police confirmed that Parker Johnson’s birthday was November 1, meaning he was killed only hours after turning 24 years old. Friends and family have expressed their disbelief and sorrow, remembering Parker as a kindhearted and positive young man whose life was full of promise.
Photos from the scene show BCA investigators working within a taped-off area of the apartment parking lot, where numerous evidence markers could be seen near a Dodge Ram pickup truck. Detectives spent much of the morning collecting evidence and speaking with witnesses as part of their ongoing investigation.
Authorities believe the shooting was an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The Hibbing Police Department is asking anyone with information or surveillance footage related to the incident to contact 911 or reach out directly to investigators.
As the community mourns the loss of a young man whose life ended far too soon, family and friends are left remembering Parker Johnson — a son, a friend, and a bright spirit taken on the very day he should have been celebrating life.