October 26, 2021
PEMBERTON, NJ (BURLINGTON)–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Pemberton Township Police Chief David King announced that an 18-year-old man has been charged with fatally shooting a 17-year-old male and wounding a 17-year-old female last week in the 100 block of Snow Avenue in Browns Mills.
Kai Johnson, of Kinsley Road in Pemberton, was charged with Murder (First Degree), Attempted Murder (First Degree), Aggravated Assault (First Degree), Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Second Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Second Degree), and Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree).
Johnson turned himself in at the Pemberton Township Police Department late Friday afternoon and is lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly. He had a first appearance Saturday afternoon in Superior Court, and is awaiting a hearing on the Prosecutor’s Office’s motion to detain him. The case will be presented to a grand jury for possible indictment.
The investigation began the night of October 18, after officers from the Pemberton Township Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 11:35 p.m.
Upon arrival, they discovered Malachi Treherne, 17, of Pemberton, lying in the doorway of the residence he was visiting on Snow Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police also located the 17-year-old female, who had been shot in the chest. She was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, and has since been released.
The investigation revealed that Johnson and the decedent were having an argument inside the house when Johnson pulled out a gun and shot both victims. An autopsy determined that Malachi Treherne died as a result of two gunshot wounds to his head.
Other people present in the home at the time of the shooting, including a two-year-old boy, were not injured in the incident.
The investigation is being conducted by detectives from the Pemberton Township Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office. The lead investigators are Prosecutor’s Office Detective Erica Ridge and Pemberton Township Detective Anthony Luster.
All persons are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Kai Johnson
Kai Johnson, of Kinsley Road in Pemberton, was charged with Murder (First Degree), Attempted Murder (First Degree), Aggravated Assault (First Degree), Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Second Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Second Degree), and Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree).