ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — The man accused of shooting and killing a neighbor in a high school parking lot following an ongoing parking dispute appeared in court Monday morning where he pleaded not guilty.
Marcus Johnson, 31, is charged with first-degree murder after deliberation. His trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 7, 2019.
He shot Anthony "TJ" Cunningham, 46, at Eagle Crest High School on Feb. 17, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office. Cunningham was shot several times, once in the head and once in the chest, according to the probable cause statement.
Johnson and Cunningham had been fighting over a parking spot for some time and, in February, a physical altercation broke out between the men, according to the sheriff's office.
The pair continued to taunt each other over text afterward and agreed at Eaglecrest to "settle it," a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said.
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According to the statement, Johnson said Cunningham had a bottle and then opened fire. McClinton-El said Cunningham was unarmed, the probable cause statement says.
A passerby called at 9:20 a.m. on Feb. 17 to report the shooting, according to the sheriff's office.
A few minutes later, Johnson called and told dispatch he'd shot his neighbor and that he'd been attacked by Cunningham earlier in the day, the sheriff's office said. He told police he was going to go home and deputies responded there. He came out of his house and said the gun was in the car and was then taken into custody, the sheriff's office said.
Cunningham played football at the college level for the Colorado Buffaloes and on the professional level for the Seattle Seahawks. He played safety. He was also one of the assistant principals at Hinkley High School in Aurora, according to the school's website.
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