Sister of soldier killed in Niger: Pentagon still hasn’t answered questions about death

The family of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed earlier this year in Niger, said Monday they haven’t received updates from the Pentagon on how he died. 

Instead, according to Johnson’s sister, they only learned through social media that he wasn’t captured before his death.

“They haven’t explained it to us. We find out everything via social media. They haven’t talked to our family about where was his whereabouts, they haven’t briefed us the proper way like they were supposed to,” Johnson’s sister, Richshama Johnson, told CNN’s “New Day.”

The Associated Press reported Sunday that Johnson was killed during an ambush and was hit by machine gun fire up to 18 times from a long distance. The story disputed prior reporting that indicated Johnson may have been held as a prisoner or shot from a close distance.

{mosads}Johnson’s body was found two days after the ambush, and his death sparked controversy after President Trump’s phone call with the soldier’s widow.

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), who was present for the call, said Trump told Johnson’s widow that her husband “knew what he signed up for.” The president repeatedly denied this description of the call.

Johnson’s mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, said following the call that Trump “did disrespect my son and my daughter and also me and my husband.”

On Monday she said her family still has not received closure from the Pentagon on her son’s death.

“I want the truth,” she said. “If they would’ve just told us the truth behind the situation from day one, we won’t even be sitting here because we would have closure and we could move on from this. But there’s no closure.”