In the late afternoon of March 29, 2026, a dispute among a group of people in the 2800 block of Faringdon Drive in Tallahassee, Florida, escalated into a scene of deadly violence. Amid the chaos of a large altercation, 26-year-old Donald Leroy Thomas III was fatally shot. The Tallahassee Police Department responded to reports of the shooting at approximately 4:40 p.m. and found Thomas with a gunshot wound.
Emergency responders immediately began life-saving efforts and transported him to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators with the police department's Violent Crimes Unit determined that the shooting was the culmination of an ongoing conflict involving several individuals. During the course of the physical fight, Thomas attempted to intervene. It was at this moment that he reportedly witnessed Jessie Davis V striking another individual with a firearm. As Thomas tried to step in and de-escalate the situation, he was shot. The suspect, Jessie Davis V, fled the scene following the shooting.
Following a thorough investigation into the fatal shooting, the Tallahassee Police Department identified Jessie Davis V as the primary suspect. On April 1, 2026, just three days after the incident, authorities located and apprehended Davis. He was taken into custody and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and aggravated battery for his alleged role in the death of Donald Thomas.
