DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2024 shooting death of a West Des Moines woman.

A Polk County jury found James Bernard Johnson, 43, guilty of Nikki Loffredo’s murder Wednesday morning following a trial that started last week. Loffredo, 42, was walking in the Highland Park Oak Park neighborhood on July 27, 2024, around 3:48 a.m., when the shooting took place. She died from her injuries two days later.

A news release from the Polk County Attorney’s Office said Johnson, who had no previous connection to Loffredo, testified he had seen her walking on Euclid Avenue earlier that morning and planned to approach her. When he saw her again at the intersection of East Ovid Avenue and Cambridge Street, he yelled at her to “come get high” with him. According to Johnson, Loffredo’s reply was, “Who are you? Never mind, f— off.”

Johnson claimed he felt disrespected and admitted to firing his gun four times from his SUV. He said he fired at the ground to frighten Loffredo and sped away. Johnson denied trying to kill Loffredo.

Text messages were used as evidence in his trial. They included messages between Johnson and his girlfriend in which he admitted he had “popped” someone recently.

Johnston claimed he had used cocaine and marijuana the same day of the shooting.

Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for June 20. The penalty for first-degree murder in Iowa is life in prison.