In a tragic turn of events stemming from a volatile relationship, 26-year-old Tarekka Jones was fatally shot on March 7, 2016, in her apartment in Cheverly, Maryland. The brutal act also claimed the life of her 22-year-old half-sister, Jalisa Walls-Harris, who was visiting at the time. The incident unfolded around 10:30 p.m. in the 6500 block of Landover Road, where police responded to reports of gunfire and discovered both women suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
They were pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect in the double homicide was quickly identified as 30-year-old Kevin Tyrice Reynolds of District Heights, with whom Jones had been romantically involved and shared a child. Less than a week before the killings, Reynolds had been arrested on charges of assaulting Jones. In a move that would have devastating consequences, Jones attended his bond hearing and expressed her desire not to press charges, ultimately posting the $2,000 needed to secure his release after a judge reduced his bond.
Following the murders, Reynolds fled the scene. An arrest warrant was issued for him, but before he could be apprehended, authorities found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Hanover County, Virginia, the next morning. The tragic event left Jones's three young daughters without their mother. According to some reports, one of her children, a 5-year-old girl, may have witnessed the horrific event and was able to identify the gunman by name. Family and friends mourned the loss of Jones, who was remembered as a hardworking mother studying to be a dental hygienist, and Walls-Harris, an aspiring R&B singer. The case highlighted the devastating impact of domestic violence.
