Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Granny Was Packin' When Robber Came Callin'
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 9, 2006
Modified Mar 30, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 9, 2006
Modified Mar 30, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Okay, 56 year old Margaret Johnson is amazing. Johnson, who uses a motorized scooter because of a dislocated hip and herniated disk, was choked by a robber who grabbed her jewelry while she was riding along the Lenox Avenue in Harlem. Little did the robber know that Johnson was on her way to the shooting range and had her .357 magnum - so Johnson shot him. The robber was only hit in the elbow, so he managed to hobble away, but cops were able to find him by following the trail of blood to his apartment, and the robber was Deron Johnson (no relation to Margaret) who has a history of robberies. He was treated at a hospital and will probably be charged with robbery once again.
Margaret Johnson is a retired MTA bus driver - and she's the step-daughter of famous Harlem gangster Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson. And she does have a license for the gun (which she got when she was driving the bus) and is able to transport it to the shooting range. After being treated for her minor scrapes, she told reporters, "There's not much to it. Somebody tried to mug me, and I shot him. It was very scary." While vigilante justice can be debated, we have to applaud Margaret for defending herself. She rules!
Tagged
bus
gun
harlem
history
hospital
MTA
News: NYC
robbery
shooting
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
In wake of Legionnaires' outbreaks, a debate over NYC's water and industry influence
An advocacy group backed by cooling tower companies wants the city to filter all the city’s drinking water. Some experts say it would be a waste of money.
By
Joe Hong
Published Oct 5, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
New York state stockpiled abortion pills. Now they're all expired.
The state Department of Health says it will soon destroy its reserve of misoprostol pills, which is enough for 12,500 doses.
By
Jon Campbell
and
David Lombardo
News
New York state stockpiled abortion pills. Now they're all expired.
The state Department of Health says it will soon destroy its reserve of misoprostol pills, which is enough for 12,500 doses.
By
Jon Campbell
and
David Lombardo
NYC Council hearing to put AI risks in the spotlight
By
Carol Chen
A sixth person dies after falling ill in NYPD custody this year
By
Ryan Kost
NJ reports first West Nile Virus death of the year
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .