The Newport, R.I., Police Department says 19-year-old Tyquan Johnson was arrested on felony firearm charges after a July 19 double shooting left two people with non-life-threatening leg wounds. Authorities say Johnson fled to Newport News, Virginia, and was apprehended on July 29. Court records tied Johnson to a 2007 birth that the Vatican declared a miracle in July 2025 after reports he had no detectable heartbeat for about 65 minutes at birth but later fully recovered. The case has attracted attention because of the Vatican connection.
19-Year-Old Linked to Vatican-Recognized 'Miracle' Arrested After Rhode Island Double Shooting
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA; Newport News Sheriff's Office
Newport, R.I. — Tyquan Johnson, 19, was arrested in connection with a July 19 double shooting in Newport, Rhode Island, authorities said. The case has drawn wider attention because court records released with his arrest warrant linked him to a 2007 birth later recognized by the Vatican as a miracle.
The Newport Police Department said in a press release that officers responded to reports of shots fired on July 19 and found two victims with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to their lower extremities. Investigators identified Johnson and another person as suspects during the inquiry. Johnson faces charges of felony assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm in a compact area.
Newport Rhode Island Police Department
Officials say Johnson fled Rhode Island and traveled to Newport News, Virginia, where he was located and taken into custody at a residence on July 29. The department released an arrest warrant that included his name, date of birth and photograph, which connected him to media and church reports from his birth in 2007.
Vatican-Recognized Recovery
Local reporting by NBC10 and statements from the Diocese of Providence say Johnson was delivered by emergency cesarean at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket in 2007 and suffered severe oxygen deprivation at birth. The diocese said he had no detectable heartbeat for about 65 minutes and that his physician prayed to Father Valera of Spain. According to the diocese and media accounts, Johnson later made a sudden and complete recovery without obvious lasting damage — a recovery that the Vatican and Pope Leo XIV recognized as an official miracle in July 2025.
Legal status: The charges against Johnson are allegations; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Authorities continue to investigate the shooting and the role of any additional suspects.
Sources: Newport (R.I.) Police Department press release; NBC10 local reporting; Diocese of Providence statements.
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