The family of an 18-year-old says justice was served after the man convicted of killing him in a Dollar Tree parking lot was sentenced to 30 years.
SAN ANTONIO — The family of an 18-year-old killed last year on the city’s east side says they are finally seeing justice.
Terry Johnson was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison for the murder of Demarion Smith, who was shot and killed in a Dollar Tree parking lot in April 2024.
San Antonio police say the shooting happened just before midnight on April 5, 2024, in the parking lot of a Dollar Tree along East Houston Street. Investigators determined Smith was shot multiple times in the chest and back following a disturbance outside the store.
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. Johnson was among several people initially detained for questioning that night.
Months later, authorities say Johnson admitted to the shooting, claiming he acted in self-defense. However, investigators say surveillance video from the scene told a different story, ultimately leading to Johnson’s conviction.
Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said his office is grateful the case has come to a close.
Prosecutors say they hope the sentence brings some measure of closure to Smith’s family as they continue to grieve the loss of their son.