MINNEAPOLIS — Family and friends are coming to grips with the shooting death of Charlie Johnson.
He was an innocent bystander, killed in a shootout early Saturday morning outside a downtown Minneapolis nightclub.
Johnson died hours before he was supposed to graduate from the school of engineering at the University of St. Thomas. Charlie's sister accepted his diploma on his behalf, and a cap and gown were placed upon an empty seat among his graduating class.
Johnson's friends spoke with KARE 11 on Monday, saying Johnson was an adventurous, fun-loving person.
Jon May said he was shocked when he heard the news of Johnson's passing.
May studied engineering alongside Johnson.
"He was an incredible student," May said. "He had to help teach me how to do a lot of these physics problems we were working on throughout our four years at St. Thomas."
Claire Sherman had known Johnson and his family for many years and had gone on a number of family vacations together.
"There was a paddleboard randomly, I think they just had it on the side of the shore," Sherman said. "Charlie brought it out and we were like 'what are you doing with that,' and he was like I'm going to surf behind it.
"It's just the epitome of who Charlie was, he loved to, you know, be an adventurous person and be in the water and just be surrounded by people who love him."
Mackael Loomis remembers Johnson as always being positive and having a contagious smile.
Loomis said he had recently spent time with Johnson.
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"I was lucky enough to spend a lot of the last week with Charlie and get to talk with him about a lot of different things," Loomis said. "Spent the day talking about life and the future."
Loomis said they also ran through the St. Thomas fountain, a school tradition.
"He was a hard worker. I know that he cared about everything he did. He made things funny, and so that I knew that anything he did in life -- 100% effort into," Sherman said.
Don Weinkauf, the Dean of the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering released the following statement:
The School of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas is grieving over the loss of Charlie Johnson '21. The impact of Charlie’s death is unmeasurable. He was truly a beloved member of our community. Outgoing, friendly, positive, jovial and loving. Classmates, staff and faculty rejoiced in what Charlie brought to our work together. He loved his study abroad experiences in New Zealand, Rome and just completed his Senior Design Clinic project with the Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development in Peru. He was one of those students who individually made St. Thomas that much better of a place to study and thrive. This is a tremendous loss. We will be honored to share in the celebration of his life and are committed to carrying on his legacy to make a difference in the world.