Police say Shawn Johnson died after being struck with a BB gun during a gathering in Fort Pierce.
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A 36-year-old Fort Pierce man faces a manslaughter charge after police say he fired a BB gun toward 34-year-old Shawn Johnson during a backyard gathering, striking Johnson near the armpit before Johnson collapsed and later died at a hospital.
Jabari Cowart was arrested Aug. 23, one day after the shooting in the 2900 block of Avenue G, according to police and jail records cited by local news organizations. Johnson, of Port St. Lucie, was identified in an arrest affidavit released as investigators provided additional details about what happened. Cowart was being held in the St. Lucie County Jail on $50,000 bond as of Aug. 27. The manslaughter charge is an accusation, and the case has not been resolved in court.
Fort Pierce police were called to the Avenue G area shortly after 8 p.m. Aug. 22 following a report that someone had been shot with a BB or pellet gun. Officers found Johnson injured and unable to speak, according to reports based on the arrest affidavit and information from police. Emergency crews took him to Lawnwood Hospital, where he later died.
The arrest affidavit described a puncture wound in Johnson’s armpit area that investigators believed was consistent with a BB gun injury. Rescue personnel reported that blood was collecting in Johnson’s lungs and believed the projectile had entered a lung, making the injury life-threatening. Publicly available reports reviewed in the case did not include a final medical examiner’s determination establishing the formal cause and manner of Johnson’s death.
Police said Cowart, Johnson and other men had been gathered outside and had been shooting a BB rifle at trees. Investigators said Cowart obtained the rifle and then pointed it at or in Johnson’s direction before firing. Johnson was struck and later collapsed, according to the police account. Fort Pierce police Maj. Michael Santiago told Treasure Coast Newspapers that the people at the gathering knew one another and investigators had found no indication of an argument before the shooting.
Cowart gave investigators a different account, according to the arrest affidavit. He initially maintained that Johnson had accidentally shot himself while handling the rifle. Investigators questioned that explanation after examining the weapon and the location of Johnson’s injury. The affidavit said the rifle had a long barrel, which detectives believed made a self-inflicted wound in that area highly unlikely.
Investigators also obtained witness statements that conflicted with Cowart’s account. One witness told police that Cowart shot Johnson, while detectives told Cowart they had multiple sworn statements identifying him as the person who fired the rifle. Cowart continued to maintain that Johnson had shot himself, according to the affidavit. After detectives challenged his explanation, Cowart asked to speak with an attorney and the interview ended.
Santiago said police recovered the pellet rifle during the investigation. He described the group’s handling of the weapon as reckless and said investigators were continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Police have not publicly identified a dispute or motive preceding the incident, and the available reports do not establish that investigators believe the shooting was planned.
Cowart remained in the St. Lucie County Jail on $50,000 bond as of Aug. 27, according to the latest available reporting citing sheriff’s office records. Fort Pierce police said the investigation remains active. No confirmed date for Cowart’s next court appearance or final resolution of the manslaughter case was identified in the records and reports reviewed.
Author note: Last updated August 27, 2026.