A 74-year-old man who shot and killed a man who knocked on his apartment door after mistaking him for a friend will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars in Virginia.
According to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Leroy King was given a 25-year prison sentence for shooting and killing 38-year-old Albert Johnson in June 2023. According to the prosecution, Johnson accidentally knocked on King’s 74-year-old door while in the area to visit one of his neighbors.
Later that day, he returned to King’s house and knocked once more after leaving. After yelling at Johnson for waiting outside his front door, King went outside with a handgun and two bullets to the 38-year-old’s neck and torso.
King lived next door to the person Johnson was attempting to visit. King was taken into custody by police after medics declared Johnson dead at the scene. Second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a murder were the charges brought against the 74-year-old. At his trial in April, a jury found King guilty despite his not guilty plea.
Even after acknowledging that he had never interacted with the victim before the killing, he falsely claimed that he had the authority to use fatal force against Johnson during his sentencing hearing, continuing to insist on his innocence.
A wrong knock on the door ended in murder and a 25-year sentence for a man who claimed it was his right to shoot.https://t.co/S7y4DaHl7a
— Atlanta Black Star (@ATLBlackStar) July 28, 2025
“Mr. King had no right to shoot the victim, and, both at his age and with his prior conduct, he absolutely should have known better,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi as per Atlanta Balck Star. “I extend my condolences to Mr. Johnson’s family for losing their loved one in such a senseless way. He did nothing wrong. The fact that Mr. King does not see that he committed a crime means that Mr. King poses a continuing danger to the public and that his sentence fits his crime. My prosecutors and I will continue to focus our resources on prosecuting the individuals who kill in our city.”
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Read “‘Absolutely Should Have Known Better’: 74-Year-Old Man Said He Had the Right to Shoot Virginia Man Who Knocked On His Door By Mistake, A Judge Showed Him No Mercy At Sentencing” https://t.co/GbAjGzbRf1— Ahmjus Ay’n (@ahmjus) July 29, 2025
King was given a sentence of 25 years in jail and an additional 20 years of suspension, with the requirement that he fulfill three years of supervised probation and 20 years of good behavior before being released from prison.
King was found guilty in 2003 of shooting his neighbor in Lynchburg, Virginia, according to the prosecution. The shooting victim lived despite their wounds.
Loved ones described Johnson in his online obituary as having a “larger-than-life personality,” a “strong and triumphant, overcoming many adversities in his life,” and a “captivating spirit, and an aura that would light up any room he entered.”
