Jabari Gilbert

Jabari Tariq Gilbert was a 19-year-old Black man from Tallahassee, Florida, survived by his parents, Candace and James Gilbert, and three siblings. His life was cut short by gunfire on the evening of July 10, 2019.

The incident unfolded around 6:42 p.m. in the parking lot of The Hub student apartments on Ocala Road. Investigators determined that Jabari and a 17-year-old girl, Rrionna Godwin, had arranged to meet 22-year-old Robert Simmons Jr. to sell him marijuana. The meeting was set up through the "Group Me" app. After Simmons got into the back seat of Jabari's black Ford Expedition, he told police that Godwin, who was in the front passenger seat, pointed a handgun at him in an attempt to rob him.

During a brief struggle over the weapon, a single .45-caliber round was fired into the vehicle's floorboard. Simmons then fled the SUV, ran to his apartment to get a firearm, and returned to the parking lot. As Jabari was backing the Expedition out to drive away, Simmons stood approximately 40 feet away and fired at least ten rounds from a 9mm handgun into the back of the fleeing vehicle.

The SUV crashed after being riddled with bullets. Jabari was struck at least three times, with one round piercing his back and lodging under his sternum, causing his death. Godwin was also struck by the gunfire and suffered serious injuries but survived. When police arrived, they found the Expedition's rear window shattered and nine 9mm cartridge casings on the ground. Inside the vehicle, they recovered marijuana and a .45-caliber handgun.

Police detained Simmons as he attempted to leave the scene. During questioning, he gave conflicting statements, first saying he planned to steal the marijuana, then claiming he was the victim of a robbery. He told investigators he opened fire because he was angry that Jabari and Godwin had tried to rob him. Simmons was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder the following day. In December 2019, authorities arrested Rrionna Godwin in Panama City, Florida, charging her with felony murder for her role in the robbery that led to Jabari's death.

In February 2020, a Leon County Grand Jury returned indictments against both suspects. Robert Simmons Jr. was indicted for premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder. Rrionna Godwin was indicted as an adult on charges of felony murder with a firearm and possession of a gun by a delinquent. As of that month, the cases against both individuals were proceeding through the court system.