More than a decade ago, Rhode Island native Tyquan Johnson drew international attention after making what the Catholic Chruch later recognized as a miraculous recovery.

Despite spending more than an hour without oxygen shortly after birth, Johnson survived and grew up without the severe neurological disabilities doctors had expected. Pope Leo XIV officially recognized his recovery as a miracle. 

Now 19 years old, Johnson is facing criminal allegations after police accused him of shooting two people in Newport, Rhode Island. Authorities say Johnson fled to Virginia following the incident but was arrested at an apartment in Newport News on Wednesday morning. 

“On July 19, 2026, at about 9:55 p.m., Newport Police Officers responded to the area of Truman Road and Rosedale Avenue for a report of shots fired. When officers arrived on the scene, they located two victims suffering from gunshot wounds in their lower extremities with non-threatening injuries,” the Newport Rhode Island Police Department said in a press release. 

Police added, “During the course of the investigation, Newport Police Detectives learned that there were two suspects involved in this shooting. One of the suspects was identified as 19-year-old Tyquan Johnson, and an arrest warrant for Felony Assault with a Firearm and Discharging a Firearm in a Compact Area was obtained for Mr. Johnson. It was learned that Mr. Johnson may have fled to Virginia, and the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force (RIVFTF) was contacted to assist in the search for him. Through their investigative efforts, RIVFTF developed information that Mr. Johnson was at a residence in Newport News Virginia.”

The department further stated, “On July 29, 2026, at about 8:30 a.m., members of the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Mr. Johnson at an address on Chestnut Avenue in Newport News, Virginia. This investigation remains active and ongoing. Additional charges may be filed as the investigation progresses.”

Johnson’s story first gained attention on January 14, 2007, when he was born at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The newborn had virtually no heartbeat and went without oxygen for an extended period following complications at birth. 

According to The Boston Globe, attending doctor Dr. Juan Sanchez-Esteban, who was originally from Spain, prayed for the intercession of Venerable Father Salvador Valera Parra, a 19th-century Spanish priest. Johnson ultimately survived and went on to recover far beyond doctors believed was medically possible.

The Diocese of Providence later wrote in a Facebook post, “After not breathing for 65 minutes despite life-saving measures, and with no heartbeat, the physician prayed for the intercession of Father Valera and the boy suddenly recovered, suffering no apparent damage from the lengthy period of oxygen deprivation, and going on to lead a healthy life.”

According to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints website, Johnson was initially treated for a severe brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation. Doctors expected he would suffer permanent disabilities, including cerebral palsy or significant intellectual damage.

Instead, the infant surprised everyone by moving spontaneously, underwent bowel surgery, and was discharged from the hospital in April 2007. He later began speaking at around 18 months of age, walked at age two, and grew up playing sports and living a normal, healthy life.

Following Pope Leo XIV’s election as the first American pontiff in May, the Vatican announced that he authorized the decree recognizing Johnson’s 2007 recovery as the miracle attributed to Father Valera Salvador Parra. It marked the very first miracle officially recognized during Pope Leo XIV’s papacy. 

Father Timothy Reilly, Chancellor of the Diocese of Providence, who helped the Spanish Diocese of Almeria investigate the case in 2014, said, “(It) is a reminder of the power of prayer and the intercession of holy men and women. 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.”

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available.