DETROIT – A man was arrested after shooting and injuring two people outside a strip club in Detroit.
Johnathan Roberson-Jefferson is facing a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm for shooting and injuring two people outside Hot Tamales in January 2025.
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According to court records, the shooting stemmed from a fight between Roberson-Jefferson and another man after leaving the strip club in the early morning hours of Jan. 12, 2025.
What first victim told police
Officers asked the first victim what happened, and he said that he was shot in the hand during an argument outside the Hot Tamales strip club at around 2 a.m. on Jan. 12.
He said he was shot by a man in a burgundy car.
What second victim told police
The second victim told police that he and the first victim were shot during an altercation at the strip club.
The second victim said that while at the strip club, the first victim got into an argument with a man, later identified as Roberson-Jefferson, who left the strip club with the mother of the first victim’s child.
The second victim told police Roberson-Jefferson tried to hit the first victim but missed, leading to a physical fight between them. The second victim said he tried to intervene, but Roberson-Jefferson allegedly pulled out a small silver gun and began firing shots—grazing the second victim’s left eye and striking the first victim in the hand and stomach.
Roberson-Jefferson then left the area in a dark-colored SUV.
Police investigate crime scene
After speaking to both victims, officers went to the Hot Tamales strip club to investigate the scene.
Detroit police officers used a ShotSpotter police run through a dispatch database and learned two gunshots were detected on Ward Street just outside of the strip club at around 2 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2025. They also found blood spatter in the middle of the street.
After further investigation, officers found multiple areas of blood spatter and two gold 9 mm shell casings. The officers collected the shell casings and placed them in evidence.
On Jan. 21, 2025, police reviewed security footage and saw Roberson-Jefferson allegedly shoot the first and second victim and leave the area.
Through several investigative techniques, authorities received an image of Roberson-Jefferson from the Secretary of State and compared his photo to the security footage.
First witness statement
On Jan. 24, 2025, an officer interviewed the first victim’s child’s mother, where she said she went to Hot Tamales with friends and a man she referred to as J. She believes J worked at the strip club.
She said she noticed that the first victim was also there and noticed at one point during the night he became upset. She said while they were leaving, she saw the first victim outside, where he approached one of the men she was with and began throwing punches. Shortly after, she heard gunshots.
When the first witness was interviewed again on Jan. 27, 2025, she said she went to the strip club with two women and a man she referred to as Buddha, who she previously referred to as J.
She said she left Hot Tamales with two women, Buddha and another man. When they left, the first victim approached Buddha and the other man and started fighting. She then heard gunshots shortly after.
She told authorities in the second interview she left the area in a dark-colored SUV driven by Buddha.
When agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives did a photo lineup, she identified Roberson-Jefferson and said she referred to him as Buddha or J.
Authorities review surveillance footage
Police reviewed footage of the front entrance of Hot Tamales on Jan. 12, 2025, and made the following observations:
1:01:45 a.m.
Roberson-Jefferson arrives at Hot Tamales with three women, including the first witness. He is seen wearing a dark-color jacket with a hooded sweatshirt underneath, dark-colored pants and Nike gym shoes.
1:03:00 a.m.
Roberson-Jefferson walks toward the entry door of Hot Tamales through the foyer area. While walking, he looks towards the surveillance camera.
2:12:08 a.m.
Roberson-Jefferson is seen leaving Hot Tamales with three women, including the first witness, and a man, wearing a baseball cap, a jacket that displayed an image from the movie Scarface.
Authorities then reviewed video surveillance footage displayed on the outside of Hot Tamales and made the following observations:
2:12:36 a.m.
Roberson-Jefferson, with an unknown man and three women, appears walking towards a dark-colored SUV.
Moments later, a person believed to be the first victim attempts to punch Roberson-Jefferson and the unknown man. A physical fight then occurred.
2:12:46 a.m.
Authorities said Roberson-Jefferson took out what appeared to be a gun and made a motion as if he were racking the slide to eject a round into the chamber.
2:12:47 a.m.
Authorities believe Roberson-Jefferson is holding a suspected silver handgun.
2:12:53 a.m.
Roberson-Jefferson points the suspected gun towards the first victim, and authorities observe a muzzle flash come from the area of the suspected handgun.
2:13:02 a.m.
Roberson-Jefferson picks up a hat off the ground before walking towards the front driver’s seat of a dark-colored SUV and leaving the area.
Authorities then reviewed footage displaying the exterior of Hot Tamales and Ward Street and made notes on the following observations:
2:12:50 a.m.
The unknown man approaches the rear driver’s side passenger seat, and Roberson-Jefferson approaches the driver’s seat and then leaves the area.
Police analyze shell casings
On Jan. 29, 2025, authorities examined the casing and determined they were manufactured outside Michigan—meaning the ammunition traveled in interstate commerce.
Previous conviction
After further investigation, authorities learned Roberson-Jefferson was convicted of attempt-felony weapons carrying concealed.
