Murder suspect in Church Street in Burlington pleads not guilty

BURLINGTON, Vermont (WCAX) – The woman accused in a fatal shooting in Burlington over the weekend pleaded not guilty to murder Monday morning.

Aaliyah Johnson, 22, of South Burlington, is charged with first-degree murder for shooting a man outside Red Square, a bar on Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, early Saturday morning.

Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charge in court on Monday and was released on bail.

When police arrived at the scene, they found 30-year-old Teville Williams of Stowe who had been shot multiple times. He later died in the hospital.

Officers arrested Johnson and confiscated a .45 caliber pistol.

Investigators said the shooting stemmed from an altercation between Williams and Johnson inside the bar, during which Williams allegedly attacked Johnson. Bar employees let her leave the establishment through two different doors. Police said Johnson went out one door and went out the other to confront Williams on Church Street. She then allegedly fired several shots at him.

In the wake of the violence, some are calling on city leaders to take action, including Christopher Haessly, a member of the Church Street Marketplace District Commission who lives just off Church Street.

“I think we need to have a conversation going forward about whether or not we want to continue to allow firearms in bars and other downtown establishments,” Haessly said.

Investigators say police officers attempting to assist Williams at the scene were disrupted by a large crowd surrounding them. They say the crowd had to be pushed back to secure the crime scene, which contained shell casings, bullets and evidence of blood.

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