Nine-year-old Jamyla Bolden was diligently doing her homework on her mother's bed inside their Ferguson, Missouri, home on the evening of August 18, 2015, when gunfire erupted outside. Bullets tore through the house, striking both Jamyla and her 34-year-old mother, Kendric Henderson. A single gunshot wound proved fatal for Jamyla. Her mother was shot in the leg and survived her injuries.
The senseless act of violence that claimed the young girl's life sent shockwaves through a community already grappling with unrest.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led authorities to a suspect. A witness identified 21-year-old De'Eris Brown as the gunman, and an informant later told police that Brown had admitted to the shooting. Ferguson Police, with the help of U.S. Marshals, arrested Brown a week after the incident. Following his arrest, Brown confessed to firing into the residence. Investigators believe Jamyla was not the intended target. The motive, as stated by the prosecuting attorney, was that Brown believed someone in that house had stolen from him.
De'Eris Brown was charged with second-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. He was held on a $750,000 cash-only bond. At the time of the shooting, Brown was already on probation for a robbery charge. In January 2018, Brown pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts for his role in Jamyla's death. During the sentencing, he offered an apology to the family for his actions. A judge sentenced De'Eris Brown to 22 years in prison.
