Man whose premature birth was declared a 'miracle' by Pope Leo is now wanted by police over double shooting

Tyquan Johnson stopped breathing when he was born prematurely in 2007 and was dead for 65 minutes before a physician's prayer miraculously led to the baby regaining a heartbeat, according to the Catholic Church.

Nineteen years later, police are searching for Johnson under an arrest warrant listing felony assault with a firearm and firing in a compact area.

'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.'

The revival of Johnson as a baby was considered a miracle because the attending physician had invoked the aid of Father Salvador Valera Parra in prayer immediately before Johnson came back to life.

The Catholic Church investigated the incident for years before Pope Leo XIV officially recognized it as a miracle in 2025.

Johnson is being sought over a double shooting in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 19, along with another man who is being sought for questioning.

Police said they found two victims, ages 22 and 25, who had been shot. They were transported to a hospital for treatment of gunshot injuries that were not life-threatening.

Detectives said they believe the shooting was targeted.

Johnson and the other man sought are believed to be armed and dangerous, according to a police Facebook post.

Johnson's mother told WPRI-TV that she had not talked to him for several days.

RELATED: Pope calls for gun control in US after Texas mass shooting, Chicago Cardinal agrees: 'The Second Amendment did not come down from Sinai'

Johnson was interviewed in 2025 after his revivification was declared a miracle.

"I feel normal. ... I can do everything a normal person would do. It definitely has changed my faith a lot because I'm destined to be in this world," he told WAVY-TV.

"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," he added.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!