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Wife Of Soldier Who Fatally Shot A Good Samaritan Trying To Intervene In Domestic Dispute Says People Are Blaming Her For His Death

By Patrick Frye
Published on: 07:30 PST, May 30, 2016

Quinisha Johnson, the wife of a Fort Hood soldier who killed a good Samaritan outside an Arlington, Texas, Walgreens, revealed that people were blaming her for the death of T.J. Antell, the man who tried to help when a dispute between her and her husband spiraled out of control.

As the Dallas Morning News reports, Antell had stepped in after a domestic dispute between Quinisha Johnson and her husband, Ricci Bradden. The soldier had allegedly fired into the ground with a bullet, hitting Johnson in the leg. Bradden had tried to flee the scene in his truck, an armed Antell had tried to stop him; he was shot in the head and died instantly.

Johnson now claims she has received several messages on social media from people claiming to be friends with Antell, saying it was totally her fault that a good man had died.

Johnson said Bradden was controlling and abusive, but that she was afraid of him and never reported it to the police. The couple were newlyweds after dating on and off from their days in high school.

Antell, a gym owner and father of three, had been shopping at Walgreens with his wife, Crystal Antell, who was there when he died.

In a Facebook post, Johnson called Antell “my hero” after risking his life for hers.

“I find myself often apologizing for how I am recently because just a little bit ago I was so happy, my family was perfect and I was always counting our blessings in our life. I know I am still blessed in so many ways but I am very angry at the moment and that is not who I am but thank you for your patience with me.”

Bradden is facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and murder. He is still holed up at the Tarrant County Jail with a bail condition of $515,000.

Antell, who was legally allowed to carry a concealed weapon, has been criticized for stepping into a dispute that should have been ordinarily left for law enforcement. Arlington police said, during the dispute, Antell had gone to his vehicle to get his handgun and approached the shooter with his weapon drawn. He had yelled at Bradden not to drive away in the parking lot — the assailant had come down from his truck and opened fire.

After the incident, Bradden had called his dad, who advised him to pull over and wait for him. Father and son then drove to a Texas Department of Public Safety station in Hill County where the 22-year-old soldier turned himself over to authorities.

Antell’s pastor, Marc Lowrance, defended his friend’s actions.

“He went into protective mode. He’s a father, he’s protective by nature and he thought he could help everyone involved, and tragically it went a different way … he sacrificed himself for his family, much the way he sacrificed himself for strangers.”

According to NBC Philadelphia, the rise in concealed-carry gun permits has resulted in escalating reports of injuries and deaths over minor disputes. In Pennsylvania, a man named Mark Storms shot another man, Robert Braxton, over a dispute of seating arrangements in church. Storms had tried to intervene in the argument, telling Braxton to leave the church. An infuriated Braxton took a swing at him, Storm shot him to death. Storms was charged with voluntary manslaughter.

Similarly, a Detroit woman with a permit to carry a concealed weapon opened fire at a shoplifter who was running away from Home Depot, according to the Washington Post. She was sentenced to 18 months of probation and had her concealed weapons permit taken from her. She vowed never to help anyone again in her life.

[Image via Shutterstock/Susan Montgomery]

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