Jessie Kelly

Jessie Kelly was a 23-year-old Black man from Jackson, Mississippi, remembered by those who knew him as a funny, silly, loving, and caring person with a good heart. A father to one child, he attended Jim Hill High school and had worked for UPS and a paint company. Friends and family recalled his smile and humor, with one person remembering him since he was an infant. His life was cut short in a violent shootout that erupted during an attempted robbery in early 2017, one that ultimately claimed four young lives.

On the night of Thursday, February 9, 2017, a group of people were playing dominoes inside a unit at the Westwood Apartments on Robinson Road. Just after 10:20 p.m., at least three men entered the apartment. Police said the entry was unforced, suggesting a prior connection between the intruders and someone inside. At least two of the intruders were armed and demanded that the occupants hand over their belongings. However, some of the people inside the apartment were also armed and responded by opening fire. The apartment descended into a chaotic gun battle between the intruders and the residents.

When the shooting stopped, the scene was devastating. One of the residents, 25-year-old Dominique Garrett, was dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Another man identified by police as an intruder, 21-year-old Jacarin Robinson, had been shot in the head and died on the floor of the apartment. Dominique’s brother, 23-year-old Marquis Garrett, was critically wounded and rushed by ambulance to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Jessie Kelly, identified by police as a second suspected intruder, was also shot multiple times. An unknown associate drove him in a private vehicle to Merit Health, where he died around 4:00 a.m. on Friday, February 10.

Jackson Police Department officers arrived at the apartment complex at 10:23 p.m. to find a bloody scene littered with evidence of the gunfight. Investigators recovered several firearms believed to have been used in the exchange. Detectives began interviewing survivors, including at least one occupant of the apartment who was not physically injured. The incident was investigated as an attempted robbery that escalated into a deadly shootout. A police commander noted there were no signs of forced entry and that none of the men involved had outstanding warrants.

In the days following the shooting, police announced they were seeking 24-year-old Carl Harper for questioning in connection with the case. On Friday, February 10, Harper turned himself in to the Jackson Police Department. He was questioned by investigators but was subsequently released without any charges being filed against him. A search of Hinds County court records showed no grand jury indictment against Harper related to the incident.

The death toll from that night continued to rise. A few days after the shooting, Marquis Garrett succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, becoming the fourth and final victim of the violent encounter. His death marked Jackson's 11th homicide of 2017. As of February 2017, the investigation into the complex case was ongoing, as authorities worked to unravel the precise sequence of events and determine who was acting as an aggressor and who may have been firing in self-defense. No one has been formally charged in court for the events that led to the deaths of Jessie Kelly, Jacarin Robinson, Dominique Garrett, and Marquis Garrett. The case remains unresolved. Police have asked anyone with information to call the Jackson Police Department at (601) 960-1234 or Crime Stoppers at (601) 355-TIPS.