A 16-year-old male, Elijah Jones, was fatally shot on December 21, 2020, in Macon, Georgia, during an attempt to sell a handgun. The incident began on Scotland Avenue where Jones and another teenager, Tyrin Riggins, met with a group of other young men. During the interaction, an individual reached into the vehicle Jones was driving and tried to steal the firearm. As Jones attempted to drive away, shots were fired into his vehicle, striking him in the upper torso and Riggins in the leg.
Following the shooting, the injured Riggins managed to move Jones to the passenger seat and drive to the Sandy Springs apartment complex on Bloomfield Road to seek help and call 911. Tragically, Elijah Jones died from his injuries at the apartment complex shortly after their arrival. The family of the young man, who was a father to a nine-month-old daughter and a protective brother to his six siblings, was left in shock and struggling to accept their loss. His godmother remembered him as a hardworking and kind-hearted individual.
The investigation into the homicide led to the arrests of 15-year-old Micah Franklin and 17-year-old Jaquandre Burden, who were both charged as adults with murder and aggravated assault. Authorities also sought three other individuals in connection with the incident: 19-year-old Christopher Bonner, 17-year-old Kimarion Manor, and 16-year-old Naylan Jontez Woodford. In a subsequent legal development, Jaquandre Burden, at the age of 19, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault on February 6, 2023. For his involvement in the events that led to the death of Elijah Jones, Burden was sentenced to a term of 50 years, with the initial 25 years to be served in prison.
