Parolee charged with murder in Lancaster double slaying
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A 28-year-old parolee has been charged with murder in connection with a shooting that left two men dead at a Lancaster party, authorities said Monday.
Leo Jerome Johnson is accused of shooting Nicky Packard, 33, and Michael Sewell, 22, after the three men began arguing at the June 23 party, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Johnson left the party and returned. He brandished a handgun and shot Packard three times and Sewell once in the chest, Sheriff’s Department officials said in a statement. Both victims died at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Department said prosecutors are alleging special circumstances in the killing, which would make Johnson eligible for the death penalty.
Johnson is being held on no bail at the county jail in Castaic, online booking records show. He is scheduled for an appearance Tuesday at the Lancaster courthouse.
Since January 2007, 66 homicides have been reported in Lancaster, according to The Times’ Homicide Report database.
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