Search Warrant Details Events Leading Up To Deadly Shooting Of NW OKC Grandmother

Police are investigating a double shooting on the northwest side of the city.

Questions continue to surround the shooting death of a local grandmother. Another woman was shot but survived. The fatal shooting was last Thursday, and one week later police have not made any arrests in the case.

A search warrant was released and named two possible shooters; however, the names will not be released on News 9 because the people were not arrested or named as suspects in the case. The search warranted detailed all the events that led up to the deadly shooting.

The homicide investigation at the Aspen Way Apartments on Northwest 88th Street and Western Avenue started last Thursday night and continued Friday afternoon. Police found a total of 20 nine-millimeter shell casings in the scene.

“This was a disturbance that started between two people, “ said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, Oklahoma City Police Department. “Escalated to the point of gunfire.”

Police said two fights broke out between 53-year-old Thelma Johnson and her neighbor. The second altercation turned deadly.

According to the search warrant, Johnson and her son returned to the other woman's apartment Thursday night. Johnson allegedly pushed her way onto the threshold of the home. Investigators were told the other woman's son fired at Johnson, killing her. When they closed the door shots were fired into the apartment from outside injuring the woman. That victim told police Johnson's son had a gun in his waistband.

“It was a large disturbance,” said Quirk. “There were a lot of people so there’s a lot of information to sift through.”

Johnson died in front of the other victim's door. Her family posted on a fundraiser page that Johnson left behind four sons and 13 grandchildren. The family described Johnson as a "God-fearing woman and a victim of a senseless crime gunned down for no reason."

Police detained a number of witnesses for questioning after the shooting. Police said the District Attorney’s office directed them to release the witnesses pending further investigation. Police also said the District Attorney’s office will determine if the shooters acted in self-defense or will be criminally charged.

Fatal Shooting Started With Argument, Oklahoma City Police Say

One woman died and another victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators have been speaking to witnesses throughout the day who said the shooting started as a fight between two women who lived at the apartment complex.

The homicide investigation at the Aspen Way Apartments in northwest OKC started last Thursday night and continued Friday afternoon. Police found a total of 20 - nine-millimeter shell casings in the scene.

“Once officers arrived and made their initial investigation,” said Sgt. Eric Long, Oklahoma City Police Department. “They found a victim that was wounded fatally.”

Another woman was rushed to a local hospital with injuries, but police said was expected to survive. Officers also had a large crowd of witnesses to detain for questioning.

“I know there were some family members involved in this large altercation,” said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, Oklahoma City Police Department. “So, they’re trying to get from interviews what exactly happened. Some of those persons might have been juveniles so that’s information that I have.”

Homicide investigators are working to determine who fired the shots. So far, no arrests have been made. Crime scene investigators stayed on scene collecting evidence 12 hours after the initial shots fired call was made to police. Relatives and friends of the woman who died stayed close-by waiting for answers from police.

Meanwhile, police said the injured woman was treated and released from the hospital Friday morning. She is also being questioned about the shooting.

Police have not released the two victims’ names. Anyone with information about the fatal shooting is urged to call the homicide tip line at (405) 297-1200.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story said that Oklahoma City Police said a 14-year-old had been injured in this incident. Police later confirmed that juveniles were at the scene of this incident, but both of the victims were adults.