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Mother of Lexington teenager killed in shooting reacts to related arrest
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Mother of Lexington teenager killed in shooting reacts to related arrest

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – It’s been a tough eight months for Zanobia Simpson, his mother Kenlon Johnson, 17 years oldwho died after being shot outside a home on Rockaway Place in Lexington in March of this year.

“He got his diploma and his college acceptance letter, he was about to start,” Simpson said.

Instead of getting phone calls from Johnson about how his first semester of college was going, Simpson was getting updates on the investigation into his death.

She said that time is passing.

“I know you have to go through evidence and stuff like that, but it still took too long,” she said.

It was Thursday when Simpson got the call he’d been waiting for.

Jon’tay Mattingly, 19, was arrested about the death of her son.

Lexington Police said they were able to identify Mattingly through their Real Time Intelligence Center.

“Halloween, I got home from work and I was told about it,” Simpson said.

Simpson said Johnson knew Mattingly.

“They all grew up together. They (were) basically friends,” she said.

She added that she knows others were involved in the shootings, so justice has yet to be fully served.

“It will probably take a little longer, but they have all been arrested. This is justice. They were all arrested,” Simpson said.

Simpson offers advice for other parents in similar situations who are waiting for answers:

“Just pray. That’s all I could do is pray,” she added.

Simpson said she was not informed of the motive for the shooting that killed her son.