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Lafredia Todd, who was charged with murder in the 2022 killing of Quentin Johnson, took the stand in her murder trial Thursday, Jan. 16.

Todd, who worked at Nacho Hippo with Johnson, testified that she shot Johnson because she was scared for her life due to repeated threats Johnson made at the workplace. Johnson was found in the kitchen with a gunshot wound to the head behind his ear the night of July 28, 2022. Todd told the jury that Johnson had threatened to 鈥渟hoot the place up,鈥� that he 鈥渨as strapped鈥� and that he was going to 鈥渃all his girl to bring the Draco,鈥� referring to a type of semi-automatic pistol resembling an AK-47.

鈥淚 had to make the decision I made or I was gonna die that night,鈥� Todd said during questioning.

Found on Johnson the night of the shooting were two unloaded pistols, according to prior testimony from a North Myrtle Beach police officer.

Todd told defense attorney Stuart Axelrod during questioning that she did not call the police on Johnson out of fear of retribution.

鈥淚 kind of felt like if I quit the job, then he still was gonna do something to me. If I called the police, he still was gonna do something to me,鈥� Todd said.

Prosecutor Nancy Livesay cross-examined Todd, pointing out through call records and police reports that she had called 911 many times before, including because she had a headache. Todd responded that she wasn鈥檛 scared of calling 911 but was afraid to call the police on Quentin that night.

Admitted into evidence and played for the jury Thursday was the 911 call Todd made after shooting Johnson, where she told dispatchers that she shot her co-worker because he was threatening to kill her.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want nobody to come do nothing to me. I shot him because I was scared,鈥� she said during the call.

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As the call played in the courtroom, Todd was seen crying on the stand.

Todd also said during the call that she threw the firearm she shot Johnson with into the woods, but told police when they arrived on scene that the gun was under a dumpster behind the Cracker Barrel, which is next-door to the Nacho Hippo. Prosecutor Seth Oskin pointed out that discrepancy as a lie during cross-examination of family members who were testifying on Todd鈥檚 character.

The shooting occurred, according to Nacho Hippo surveillance timestamps, at about 10:45 p.m., but Axelrod suggested the time on the tapes may have been off a few minutes because 911 call records show Todd鈥檚 call coming in at 10:44 p.m.

Todd said she couldn鈥檛 leave work after clocking out at 9:53 because she did not have a car and was waiting for her ride to get done working. Maecas Mitchell, a cook at the restaurant who lived near Todd in Tabor City, testified Wednesday that he had given her a ride to work that day and was supposed to drive her back. He left when he heard the gunshot in the kitchen, he said.

Livesay described Todd鈥檚 actions that night as that of a hunter, pointing out that Todd was in the manager鈥檚 office looking at surveillance camera footage before shooting Johnson. Footage shows Todd in the manager鈥檚 office on the phone looking at video footage to see where Johnson was in the restaurant.

鈥淵ou go into the manager鈥檚 office and shut the door and start watching, right,鈥� Livesay asked. 鈥淵ou waited until he walked by that door and he was unarmed with his back to you, and that鈥檚 when you fired the fatal shot.鈥�

Todd said Johnson was armed, to which Livesay responded that Johnson did not have a gun in his hand and posed no threat as his back was to Todd when she shot him.

Livesay also showed the jury text messages where she inquired about getting a gun from her brother hours before arriving to work that day and failed to mention in texts anything about being afraid or threatened.

The jury was shown a timeline on a flipboard by prosecutors which showed several shifts where Johnson and Todd worked together. 鈥淭welve days working together, you never shot Quinton,鈥� she said.

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Todd testified about past disagreements with Johnson, including over Johnson putting too many banana peppers on a plate of nachos days before the shooting.

鈥淗e kept threatening me. He said he was gonna kill me, and this was over a plate of food,鈥� Todd said. 鈥淣ot only did he say he was going to kill me, he said he would kill me, my mama and my children and that just went too far for a plate of food.鈥�

Livesay also pointed out on video footage that the hammer of the gun was cocked back when she left the office a moment before shooting Johnson. Prosecutors pointed out that there were two shots that night, one just minutes before the fatal gunshot outside. The original shot is described as a practice shot by prosecutors. Todd testified that the first gunshot was accidental and happened when she pulled the gun out of her bag, adding that the gun was already cocked and she had googled how to uncock it.

Axelrod also brought up text messages, pointing out that she was asking her brother to pick up beer and cigarettes for her, which she said she was planning for after she got off work.

鈥淲asn鈥檛 your intention to go home, drink beer and smoke cigarettes,鈥� Axelrod asked, which Todd responded 鈥測es sir.鈥� Axelrod used that text message to demonstrate to the jury that the shooting was not premeditated and that she planned on going home that night until she made the decision to shoot Johnson out of fear.

After a litany of testimony from Todd, co-workers, family members, police officers and 911 dispatchers, the defense rested their case Thursday. All that remains are closing arguments and jury deliberation. Todd is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

The trial will resume Friday, Jan. 17, with attorneys set to make their closing statements.