A Manhattan jury has convicted Isaac Argro of murder for fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend Azsia Johnson as she pushed their three-month-old daughter in a stroller on the Upper East Side nearly four years ago.
Argro, 26, was found guilty of second-degree murder on May 29, 2026, after a weeks-long trial. Jurors deliberated for just two hours before reaching their verdict. The shooting occurred on June 29, 2022, near the intersection of East 95th Street and Lexington Avenue, an incident that stunned New York City and drew national attention.
Johnson, 20, had been living in a domestic violence shelter in East Harlem to protect herself and her two children—including the three-month-old daughter she shared with Argro—from his stalking and abuse. Despite her fears, her family said she wanted to ensure her daughter had a relationship with her father. She agreed to meet Argro so he could provide supplies for their infant.
According to court documents, Argro lured Johnson to the isolated location under the guise of giving her items for their baby. Instead, he arrived dressed entirely in black with a ski mask covering his face. Before meeting him, Johnson sent text messages to her sister describing exactly where she was meeting Argro and what he was wearing. Those descriptions would later match witness accounts and surveillance footage of the shooter.
Argro approached Johnson from behind as she pushed the stroller and shot her once in the head at point-blank range, striking her in the temple. The child remained unharmed. He then fled the scene, discarding his clothing in a nearby building to avoid detection. Authorities arrested him two days later in Brooklyn.
Johnson’s mother, Lisa DeSort, expressed her devastation over her daughter’s death and called out the legal system’s failures. DeSort said she had warned her daughter repeatedly about the danger Argro posed and had urged her to seek protection. When Johnson was six months pregnant, she had called her mother in fear, describing abuse by Argro. Police responded but later said they were unable to locate him.
During the trial, DeSort took the stand and stared Argro down as she delivered her victim impact statement, but he refused to look her in the eye. She was also struck by his lack of remorse in the courtroom. Argro attempted to blame his actions on a difficult childhood and friends he claimed he lost to gun violence, prompting DeSort to respond passionately: “We’re supposed to feel bad? How dare you come up there and say that’s the reason you did what you did?”
Johnson’s sister, Destiny Johnson, told observers that Argro even laughed during the trial “as if he was going to get away with it.” Yet the jury found the evidence of his guilt overwhelming.
Prosecutors described the killing as “a premeditated execution” and the violent endpoint of what they characterized as a sustained campaign of harassment and abuse. Court documents revealed that Argro had a history of domestic violence with Johnson. When she was seven months pregnant, he allegedly assaulted her in Queens County. He also made threats against her family members.
Johnson had filed multiple police reports against Argro, documenting his abusive behavior. Yet despite these warnings and the documented history of violence, she was shot dead while performing the ordinary act of caring for her child in public.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called the killing “a brutal execution” that shattered Johnson’s family. He noted that Johnson had shown “immense bravery” by leaving Argro to protect herself and her children, only to become his victim anyway.
The case has become emblematic of the dangers faced by domestic violence survivors, particularly when their abusers have access to firearms. Advocates have cited this tragedy as a stark example of the lethal intersection of intimate-partner violence and guns, highlighting gaps in the system meant to protect vulnerable women.
DeSort, a mother of ten, has devoted herself to raising awareness about domestic violence in her daughter’s memory. She works at a women’s shelter to help other survivors break the cycle of abuse, channeling her grief into action to prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies.
Argro was convicted of second-degree murder and faces imprisonment for his crime. His conviction brings some measure of justice to Johnson’s family and loved ones, who attended the trial each day to see accountability for her death.