On the evening of October 18, 2019, 20-year-old Jamarius Jawon Reese was found lying face down at the intersection of First and East Park Streets in West Helena, Arkansas, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his back. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Jamarius was born October 14, 1999, in Helena and had been working on completing his high school education through the Phillips Community College GED Program. He hoped to become a commercial truck driver and enjoyed dancing, playing basketball, shopping, and spending time with family and friends.

In the days after the shooting the Helena-West Helena Police Department identified 25-year-old Tavoris Avance as a suspect and investigators believed he had left the area possibly for central Arkansas with his girlfriend. A manhunt involved local law enforcement and the U.S. Marshals; on November 5, 2019, Avance contacted the Helena-West Helena Police Chief, James Smith, to arrange his surrender and was taken into custody in Conway, Arkansas and returned to West Helena for questioning. Anyone with information about Jamarius Reese or the events that night is asked to come forward.