FRESNO, Calif. — A courtroom hearing on Monday brought forth a deeply personal testimony from the mother of Stewart Coleman, the man accused of shooting and killing Carl Johnson. Wanda Coleman provided insight into her son’s mental health struggles, framing their tragic encounter on August 2.
Wanda described Stewart’s ongoing battle with schizophrenia, a condition he has faced for three decades. On that fateful day, she recounted, Stewart was experiencing an episode that left him believing he was in danger, and that Carl Johnson, a man he had never met, posed that threat.
Recalling the moment, Wanda said her son became increasingly agitated, repeating that he felt Johnson was there to harm him. Initially, she had invited Johnson, a long-time friend of Stewart’s deceased father, to her home to collect fishing equipment from a shed. The atmosphere, meant to be friendly, quickly soured as Stewart’s paranoia overwhelmed him.
As tensions escalated, Wanda realized the gravity of the situation. She desperately tried to bring Stewart back to reality, urging him to recognize that the threats he perceived were not real. Her attempts to de-escalate were punctuated by the chilling moment she saw a gun in Stewart’s hand, prompting her to instruct Johnson to leave the shed immediately.
Despite her efforts to calm her son, Wanda ultimately lost control of the situation. As she struggled to keep the weapon away from Stewart, she slipped and fell to the ground. In that instant, gunfire erupted, shattering the day and irrevocably altering their lives.
Wanda recounted the horrifying moment as she observed Johnson collapse onto the grass. “I thought nothing had happened to him,” she reflected, “but then I noticed a hole in his shirt.” It was a stark and painful realization for a mother witnessing the consequences of her son’s mental health crisis.
In the aftermath, Wanda called for emergency services, and she found Stewart sitting on the porch, also seeking help. He remained there until law enforcement arrived, reflecting the chaos and confusion that engulfed their lives in those haunting moments.
As the legal proceedings continue, the impact of mental health on criminal behavior is thrust into the spotlight, raising critical questions about the care and support available for individuals grappling with serious mental conditions. This tragic incident serves as a somber reminder of the complexities surrounding mental illness and its potential consequences on families and communities.