Newport double shooting suspect is miracle baby recognized by Vatican

NEWPORT, R.I. — A 19-year-old Rhode Island man charged in connection with a Newport double shooting is the same person whose extraordinary recovery as a newborn was later recognized by the Vatican as a miracle.

Tyquan Johnson was arrested Wednesday in Newport News, Virginia, by the U.S. Marshals Service after investigators alleged he fled Rhode Island following the July 19 shooting.

According to Newport police, Johnson is charged with felony assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm in a compact area. Two people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting. Investigators have also said they are seeking another individual for questioning in connection with the case.

Vatican recognized recovery as a miracle

Johnson was born prematurely in 2007 at the former Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island in Pawtucket. Medical providers reportedly were unable to detect a heartbeat for more than an hour and believed he was unlikely to survive or would suffer permanent brain damage.

After family members prayed for the intercession of Blessed Salvador Valera Parra, Johnson recovered without the permanent neurological injuries doctors had anticipated.

In 2025, Pope Leo XIV formally recognized Johnson’s recovery as a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Salvador Valera Parra. The recognition marked the first Vatican-approved miracle connected to Rhode Island and advanced Valera Parra’s cause for canonization.

Johnson previously said the Vatican’s recognition strengthened his faith and that he believed he had been given “a second chance.”

Shooting investigation remains active

Johnson remains charged in connection with the Newport shooting. Police have emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that detectives continue to seek another individual for questioning.