Mother reacts to arrest of suspect in 2017 murder

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Shanda Striker agonized for years not knowing who shot and killed her middle child, Demajio who went by JoJo.

“I was devastated. My son was taken away from me. He was transgender, identified as a woman, and he was my heart,” said Shanda.

Today, March 30, 2022, Shanda says, out of the blue, she got a call from a detective. There was a break in the case.

“I was told that they didn’t have anything to go on for years, and now it’s been 5 years, 1 month, and 22 days and I’ve been waiting for that call, and today, I got it,” continued Shanda.

February 2017, Toledo Police say the officers found JoJo in a vacant garage in an alley off Austin and Lagrange. Jojo, who was 23 and suffering from a gunshot wound, did not survive.

Shanda explains the house and the attached garage have since been demolished, leaving her little hope for leads. However, an investigator now tells her DNA evidence led to a suspect.

“She told me that it was an arrest in the case. She identified him to me and I thought to myself that guy was pretty young, so it was really hard to take that,” added Shanda.

That suspect is Antonio Scott Jr., who’s 21 years old. At the time of the murder, he was 15.

“I feel sorry. Sorry for his family, really. I lost somebody and potentially they might lose somebody. So, I’m just hoping for a speedy trial and a good conclusion,” said Shanda, who maintains JoJo’s shooting death was a hate crime. “It gives me slight closure for Demajio. It gives some type of closure for the family.”

Now, Shanda and her family are waiting to hear more details as she says no one recognizes Scott or knows how he came to be charged with the murder of JoJo. Scott is set to be arraigned Thursday, March 31, 2022.

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