A man whose birth was formally recognised as a miracle by the Vatican has been arrested in connection with a double shooting. Tyquan Johnson, now 19, was taken into custody at a flat in Virginia on Wednesday morning after two men were injured in a shooting in Rhode Island.
Miraculous Birth
Johnson was born in 2007 with no pulse or breath for over 65 minutes. His doctor, Juan Sánchez-Esteban, prayed to 19th-century Spanish priest Salvador Valera Parra, and the baby's heart unexpectedly started beating again. Pope Leo XIV officially recognised the recovery as a medical miracle last year, advancing Father Valera's sainthood process.
Johnson's mother recalled the moment in an interview: "He came out and told us, 'He's not breathing.' ... The doctor was telling us, our baby was dead." The doctor, from Huércal-Overa, Spain (the priest's hometown), had said a silent prayer before preparing to deliver the news of the baby's death.
Shooting and Arrest
Police responded to a report of shots fired in Newport News, Rhode Island, on July 19, where two men, ages 22 and 25, suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to their lower extremities. Johnson was identified as a suspect, and a warrant was issued for assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm in a compact area.
The arrest was carried out by US Marshals, who track down suspects crossing state lines. A second unnamed person was also arrested on gun charges.
