A 19-year-old Rhode Island man whose survival as a newborn was formally declared a miracle by Pope Leo XIV last year now faces felony firearm charges after police linked him to a July shooting that wounded two people in Newport.
Tyquan Johnson, born Tyquan Hall in 2007, was arrested Wednesday in Newport News, Virginia, by the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Newport Police Department announced. He faces charges of felony assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm in a compact area, serious felonies tied to a shooting that took place around 9:55 p.m. on July 19 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Officers who responded to the scene that night found two victims with what police described as non-threatening injuries. Investigators identified two suspects. Johnson was one of them. The second suspect remained at large as of early Thursday, and the investigation is ongoing.
Johnson's birth story is extraordinary by any measure. Born in 2007, he arrived with barely a pulse and a slow heart rate. He did not breathe for 65 minutes despite life-saving measures. Doctors expected severe developmental delays or disabilities from the prolonged oxygen deprivation.
The Diocese of Providence described what happened next. A physician at the hospital prayed for the intercession of Salvador Valera Parra, a Catholic figure whose cause for sainthood was under review. The diocese stated that Johnson "suddenly recovered, suffering no apparent damage from the lengthy period of oxygen deprivation."
On July 18, 2025, the Diocese of Providence announced on social media that Pope Leo XIV, through the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, had formally attributed Johnson's recovery to a miracle. The declaration advanced the cause of beatification and canonization for Venerable Servant of God Salvador Valera Parra.
Father Timothy Reilly, chancellor of the Diocese of Providence, called the miracle declaration "a reminder of the power of prayer and the intercession of holy men and women." He added:
"God is indeed close to us. We are thrilled that this recognition will move the cause of beatification and canonization forward for Venerable Servant of God Salvador Valera Parra."
Pope Leo XIV has drawn attention for a range of actions since taking office, from elevating the archbishop who denied Nancy Pelosi communion to making pointed political statements on the world stage.
In an interview with WAVY before his arrest, Johnson described his life in terms that now carry a bitter irony. He said he felt normal, that he could do everything anyone else could do. He spoke about his faith and what his survival meant to him:
"It definitely has changed my faith a lot because I'm destined to be in this world. If God didn't want me in this world, He would just let me die on that table. But he wanted to give me a second chance."
Johnson also told WAVY he wanted to join the military and work in the computer field. Those ambitions now sit alongside felony charges and a mugshot.
The pope has not been shy about inserting himself into American public life, recently using America's 250th birthday to lecture the nation on immigration. Whether the Vatican will address the arrest of the young man at the center of its Rhode Island miracle declaration remains an open question.
Johnson did not stay in Rhode Island after the shooting. He turned up more than 500 miles south, in Newport News, Virginia, where U.S. Marshals located and arrested him. The involvement of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, a federal unit that hunts suspects who cross jurisdictions, signals that Johnson was actively evading local authorities.
The Newport Police Department posted an official statement on Instagram confirming the arrest and charges. Two victims were shot, and two suspects were identified. Only Johnson has been taken into custody so far.
Several questions remain unanswered. Police have not disclosed the identities of the two victims, the name of the second suspect, or any motive for the shooting. It is unclear whether Johnson has retained an attorney or made any statement regarding the charges. The relationship between Johnson and the victims, if any, has not been made public.
The broader intersection of faith, politics, and the Vatican continues to generate headlines. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently traveled to Italy amid diplomatic tensions between the Trump administration and the pope, a reminder that the papacy's reach into American affairs cuts in many directions.
Catholic themes have also surfaced in unexpected corners of American media, with commentator Ross Douthat publicly discussing a miracle he says he witnessed alongside JD Vance. The word "miracle" carries weight in Catholic tradition, and now, in at least one Rhode Island courtroom, it will share space with a felony docket.
Johnson's story, a baby who defied medical expectations, a recovery the Catholic Church elevated to the level of divine intervention, and a young man who spoke openly about being destined for this world, now collides with a police report, two gunshot victims, and a flight across state lines.
The Diocese of Providence celebrated Johnson's survival as proof that God is close. The Newport Police Department's account of July 19 suggests Johnson did not extend that same grace to the two people police say he shot.
A miracle is supposed to mean something. Whether the man at the center of this one grasps that is between him, his Creator, and a Rhode Island judge.
