Romeca Blackmon murder: Woman charged in killing ordered to remain in custody

Father of Romeca Blackmon's son speaks

For the first time, we're hearing from the father at the center of a fatal confrontation. Carlos Smith shared children with two women, and now one of them is charged with murdering the other. Tia Ewing has been following this story from the beginning. She has the latest.

CHICAGO - The woman charged with killing Romeca Blackmon appeared in court Thursday and was ordered to remain in custody after Blackmon was gunned down when dropping her son off at a South Loop school earlier this year.

Dozens of supporters showed up at the Cook County courthouse for the detention hearing, wearing pink in support of Blackmon.

"I just want justice," Blackmon's mother said. "I don't want to fight with nobody. I don't want to argue with nobody. I just want justice for my daughter."

The suspect, 31-year-old Quadajah "Holly" Johnson, who is pregnant, is due back in court on Dec. 23.

Carlos Smith, the father of both Quadajah Johnson and Romeca Blackmon’s children is breaking his silence. He didn’t say much, but he was there when the shooting unfolded. Smith says some of the details being shared by witnesses don’t match what actually happened.

What we know:

Johnson is accused of shooting and killing Blackmon, also 31, on Sept. 8 near Cermak Road and State Street. Johnson was arrested around noon on Wednesday in Des Plaines. On Thursday morning, she was charged with one count of first-degree murder.

Blackmon’s death followed a fight outside the school, captured in police scanner audio that described a disturbance and reports of a woman seen holding a gun.

Prosecutors say Johnson had never met Blackmon in person, even though she filed an unserved order of protection against her in December 2024—claiming threats through family members.

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Chicago crime: Suspect charged months after shooting death of mother, prosecutors say

A 31-year-old woman has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Romeca Blackmon outside her child’s South Loop school in September.

FOX 32’s Tia Ewing reports that both women shared children with the same man, who was present during the confrontation. Johnson was initially detained after the shooting and released soon afterward.

Blackmon’s family later questioned why charges were not filed at that time. They also noted that Johnson had previously filed protective orders against Blackmon dating back to December 2024 and as recently as the summer, which they believe were meant to build a paper trail against her.

Woman charged in killing ordered to remain in custody | ChicagoLIVE

The woman charged with killing Romeca Blackmon appeared in court Thursday and was ordered to remain in custody after Blackmon was gunned down when dropping her son off at a South Loop school earlier this year.

The backstory:

On September 8, investigators say Johnson and the father of her child were near his home. He drove Johnson to 20 West Cermak where her car was parked. They placed their 6-month-old into Johnson’s car.

Around the same time, Blackmon had just dropped off her son at a nearby school and drove to the area. 

Witnesses told police the women argued. They reported the father pushing Johnson away, and Blackmon standing with her arms crossed. They say he then slammed a car door on Blackmon and put her in a choke hold.

Prosecutors say Johnson broke free and shot Blackmon once, paused, then fired two more times.

Police recovered three 9mm casings. Johnson legally owned the gun and claims self-defense.

Prosecutors say Blackmon was unarmed.

Her son turned 7-years-old days after the shooting and was still asking where his mom was.

The other side:

For the first time, we are hearing from the father at the center of a fatal confrontation. Carlos Smith shared children with two women, and now one of them is charged with murdering the other.

He was the man on the scene when this tragic shooting unfolded.

"When I heard it, I'm just looking. You know, it was unbelievable. But I was there. And I know for a fact none of that happened. How they just explained it. But my truth will get out here. And I hope everybody understands. That's really it. I can't even say too much right now. You know, because it's just it's just gonna feel like I'm going against them. They going against me. We just going back and forth. But the truth is gonna come out," Smith said.

What they're saying:

Blackmon's mother is now left raising her 7-year-old grandson.

"I just want justice for my daughter. And I want peace in my family," Blackmon's mother, Tina Miller, said. "This has been such a hard three months. It's been painful. I mean, we've been torn apart. One of the leaders of our family. She was the baby, but she was the leader. The holidays are not holidays. I'm just grateful to God."

"Carlos may be hurt for the rest of his life, but we make sure he sees rainbows in his clouds," Blackman's sister Dreka said. "Okay? Nothing will ever change about that. There is nothing he needs that we cannot provide. He is perfectly well. He is happy. He is thriving. And even when he feels his lowest, we pull him out of it together like we do with each other. He is a superstar, like his mom, and he's gonna show her better than he could tell her."