Jayden Washington was a 16-year-old Black male and a promising student-athlete at Duncanville High School in Texas. His parents, Tessa and John Wayne Washington, remembered him as a young man who was loved by many, always laughing, smiling, and making jokes. His dream was to play college football, a sport he had pursued since he was a young boy. His father said, "All Jayden ever wanted to do is play football."
On the evening of January 11, 2020, Jayden was a passenger in a friend's car at an apartment complex in the 500 block of E. Belt Line Road in DeSoto. His friend had arranged on Snapchat to sell marijuana to three people. According to police, the meeting was a "well planned robbery" designed to lure the victims there to steal their money and drugs. When Jayden and his friend arrived around 6:43 p.m., the friend realized it was a setup and tried to drive away. The suspects opened fire, striking both occupants.
Their vehicle crashed at a high rate of speed and became impaled under an SUV. Jayden was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. His friend survived with serious injuries. Police later described Jayden as an innocent victim.
DeSoto Police detectives used cell phone records to identify three suspects: Nikovian Devon Calhoun, 17, Zachary Jaheim Shelton, 17, and Jarrod Raymond Ford Jr., 18. The investigation revealed the three were close and called themselves "the creeps." On January 29, 2020, police arrested Calhoun and charged him with capital murder. A search of his residence uncovered ammunition that matched shell casings found at the crime scene. Calhoun's 17-year-old girlfriend, LaPre Mcelewee, was also arrested and charged with tampering with physical evidence after she allegedly deleted apps and messages related to the case.
Following Calhoun's arrest, authorities announced they were searching for Shelton and Ford. Jarrod Raymond Ford Jr. subsequently turned himself in at the Dallas County Jail. By the evening of January 30, 2020, DeSoto police confirmed that the third suspect, Zachary Jaheim Shelton, had also been taken into custody. All three men were charged with capital murder for the death of Jayden Washington and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the attack on the driver. As of January 2020, all three suspects were in custody awaiting legal proceedings.
