Youngest judge in PA Hanif Johnson under investigation in puppy shooting

After being elected as the youngest magistrate judge in Pennsylvania in 2019, Hanif Johnson has come under investigation by the attorney general's office after reports emerged that he shot a pit bull puppy named Lux earlier this month.

The 9-month-old dog survived the shooting and is currently being cared for at an area rescue center. The president of Pitties Love Peace, Mika Steifel, according to CBS 21. Mika Steifel, the president of Pitties Love Peace, said that if the puppy didn’t have emergency surgery, the only option would be euthanasia.

"She was shot through her shoulder blade and then out through her back, and it just really destroyed the bone, so she needed to have her front leg amputated," Steifel said.

The animal shelter said that prior to the shooting, the puppy had gotten loose. While the family was searching for her was when she was shot. However, due to the cost of her care, the family has given up the dog.

Johnson is not currently facing any charges in connection with the shooting of the dog. When Johnson spoke with a reporter back in 2019 about becoming Pennsylvania's youngest magistrate judge, he discussed having to do so due to his age and race when he threw his hat into the ring at age 26.

"You know, they would laugh at me, and then they tell me that I'm too young," Johnson said in 2019. "First advice I ever got from anyone was, one, you're black, two, you're young, and they are going to split the votes, and you are not going to win. That's the first thing that someone told me when I mentioned it."

Johnson was previously arrested for an alleged role in a reported robbery, but after a polygraph test, police determined they had the wrong man. Johnson was also reportedly arrested for his role in a reported hazing incident at his college fraternity, but was later exonerated.