Jury Selection Begins Today for Second Man Accused in Fatal Red Carpet Nightclub Stabbing

(KNSI) – Jury selection begins today in the trial of a man accused of a fatal stabbing outside the Red Carpet Nightclub in downtown St. Cloud.

28-year-old Christopher Lamar Johnson is charged with second-degree murder with intent and second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony in connection to the December 2019 stabbing of 29-year-old Unity McGill.

Police say Christopher and his brother Lawrence Michael Johnson along with another man, Bryant Stephenson stabbed McGill outside the Red Carpet after an alleged fight broke out inside the club.

Surveillance video shows that the first fight broke out around 1 a.m. when eyewitnesses say the three all assaulted an unidentified man. He was seen bleeding from the nose and mouth with McGill standing nearby. Lawrence Johnson is then seen hitting McGill and McGill fighting back. Christopher Johnson then allegedly attacks McGill, who again is seen fighting back. Security personnel then escorted Stephenson, Christopher Johnson, Lawrence Johnson, and the unidentified assault victim out of the club while McGill remained inside.

The criminal complaint states that Christopher Johnson and Lawrence Johnson re-entered the club about 1:15 a.m., with Stephenson entering a short time later. It goes on to say that Stephenson was seen on surveillance video entering the dance floor at 1:22 a.m. and moving around to where McGill is standing. It also shows Christopher Johnson and Lawrence Johnson approaching McGill from different directions, with Christopher approaching from the front and Lawrence approaching from behind. The three men then began assaulting McGill, knocking him to the ground and continuing to attack him. Security personnel broke up the fight a short time later.

Even after the fight was broken up, police say Christopher Johnson, Lawrence Johnson, and Stephenson continued to punch and kick McGill.

McGill is seen trying to leave the Red Carpet but collapsed in the main entry, where the three men continued to kick him in the head before leaving on foot. McGill was rushed to the St. Cloud Hospital, where he died.

Lawrence Johnson was found guilty in October of one count of second-degree murder with intent without premeditation and one count of second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony, two counts of fifth-degree assault. He will be sentenced on March 17th.

Stephenson is due back in court on April 12th.