Barry Corker Jr., a 25-year-old Black male, was found shot to death on the morning of May 9, 2025, in Gretna, Florida. A passerby discovered him around 7:30 a.m. near the intersection of Dewey Johnson Way and Williams Street, prompting an immediate homicide investigation by Gretna police. Investigators soon learned that his vehicle, a white Camaro, had been taken during the attack.
Later that night, after a tip from a resident, authorities located the Camaro in the Sycamore area of Gadsden County, a recovery that helped shape the early contours of the case.
In the days that followed, the community remembered him as a joyful and kindhearted athlete who loved basketball and football, as family prepared services in Quincy and mourners gathered to pay respects. His obituary confirmed the date and place of his death, while local remembrances painted a portrait of a devoted son and friend whose loss rippled across Gretna and neighboring towns.
Law enforcement developments accelerated in June. Following assistance requested by the Gretna Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced the arrest of Tamarick D. Jackson, an 18-year-old from Sneads. Jackson was charged with first-degree murder and grand theft of a motor vehicle in connection with the shooting and the theft of Corker’s car. The FDLE described how the investigation began with the discovery of Corker’s body outside a residence on May 9, and culminated in Jackson’s arrest the following month.
Local outlets later reported the arrest and continued community tributes, noting that the case had moved from an urgent search for the stolen Camaro and the killer to a prosecution centered on the teenage suspect. As of those reports, authorities had not publicly detailed a motive, but the charges underscored investigators’ conclusion that the same encounter that left Corker dead also resulted in the theft of his Camaro.
