On January 20, 2023, at approximately 4:25 a.m., San Diego Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire near the 600 block of L Street in downtown San Diego. Upon arrival, they discovered John Reed, a 29-year-old resident of San Diego, lying on the sidewalk in the 300 block of Seventh Avenue with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by officers and paramedics, Reed was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigations revealed that Reed had engaged in a brief verbal confrontation with a group of individuals, including the suspect, in the area of 600 L Street just before the shooting. During this exchange, the suspect produced a handgun and shot Reed at least once in the upper body. Following the shooting, some members of the group fled in a white Jeep SUV, while two others were reported to have fled on foot into a nearby multi-story parking garage.
Officers promptly stopped a vehicle matching the description of the white Jeep SUV at 300 Fifth Avenue and detained two adult females and one adult male. Additionally, another male, possibly associated with the suspect group, was detained on foot. After thorough questioning, these individuals were later released. A perimeter was established around the parking garage where the remaining suspects were last seen, and the San Diego Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics Unit (SWAT) was deployed. After several hours, officers determined that the suspects were no longer within the parking garage, concluding there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Through continuous investigative efforts, detectives identified two suspects involved in the case. On January 21, 2023, at approximately 3:40 a.m., officers arrested 20-year-old San Diego resident Dajon Shingleton at a residence in the 3200 block of Sweetwater Springs Boulevard in Spring Valley. Shingleton surrendered without incident and was booked into San Diego County Jail on one count of murder.
Subsequently, on January 28, 2023, at around 1:00 p.m., 20-year-old San Diego resident Jaelen Dower was arrested at 6500 Broadway in San Diego for his role in the incident. Dower was booked into San Diego County Jail on one count of assault with a deadly weapon involving a firearm and other firearms-related charges. The investigation remains active, and detectives continue to gather information to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the case.
Authorities urge anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
