In the early morning hours of a Tuesday in August 2018, the life of 27-year-old Jessica Criff was tragically cut short in a Duluth, Georgia apartment. Responding to a call, Gwinnett County police discovered the young woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to her injuries. The scene of the shooting was the apartment of 25-year-old Cortez Lofton.
Following the shooting, it was Lofton himself who dialed 911 to report the incident. He remained at the apartment on Club Place, awaiting the arrival of law enforcement and emergency personnel. Upon their arrival, Lofton was taken into custody for questioning and transported to Gwinnett County Police Headquarters to speak with investigators.
Authorities described the shooting as the result of a domestic dispute, though the precise nature of the relationship between Criff and Lofton was not immediately clear to them. In the initial days of the investigation, police reported that Lofton was cooperating with them. While he was identified as the shooter, no charges were immediately filed against him in connection with Jessica Criff's death as detectives continued to gather more information and await the results of an autopsy. The case remained under investigation as police worked to understand the events that led to the fatal shooting.
