St. Thomas community members and friends and family of Charlie Johnson gathered Monday at the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas to remember his life after it was cut short hours before he was set to graduate.

Johnson, a mechanical engineering major, was shot and killed early Saturday, May 22, at the age of 21. His service was livestreamed on the chapel’s Facebook page, with viewers coming from “points across the United States, even France and Hong Kong,” according to Campus Ministry Director the Rev. Lawrence Blake.

“Our suffering is great today,” Blake said. “Our sorrow is deep that such a loving and … personable young man with such a positive outlook on life is no longer with us.”

Johnson’s sister, Camille Johnson, spoke while fighting through emotions.

“Charlie lived every day to the fullest, sharing smiles and seeking adventures,” Camille Johnson said. “He carried the silliest grin on his face that could light up any room and never missed an opportunity for a good laugh.”

Johnson was celebrating graduation when he was caught in crossfire just before 2 a.m. outside the Monarch nightclub in downtown Minneapolis. Jawan Carroll, 24, of St. Paul, faces two counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted second-degree murder from the shootout that left two dead and several wounded, according to authorities.

A video, produced by Johnson’s friend Davis Narey, was shown during Monday’s service, featuring a photo collage and quotes from Johnson’s family and friends.

Elliot Olson, a friend of Charlie’s from middle and high school, said he was “well aware” that Johnson was a “charitable and kind individual” and shared a laugh with the crowd amid the sorrowful circumstances.

“I was quite unaware of how adamantly my classmates shared that sentiment until our junior year of high school, when Charlie Johnson was elected president of National Honor Society – get this, without giving a speech,” Olson said, followed by laughter from the crowd.

“That was the morning that I was reminded just how highly my classmates held Charlie Johnson,” Olson continued. “Clearly he was a caring individual; clearly he was the best of us all.”

Charlie’s friend Drew Malecek said that Johnson “lived his life to the absolute fullest” during his time at St. Thomas.

“We will all remember Charlie as the most adventurous, hilarious and kind soul any of us will ever meet,” Malecek said.

University President Julie Sullivan closed, saying that Johnson is a “Tommie forever.”

“We are committed to honoring Charlie’s legacy by continuing to do the work Charlie embraced: to make this world a better place,” Sullivan said.

Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.