Maurice Jones, a 34-year-old African American male, was tragically shot and killed on January 10, 2020, in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred outside a corner store located at the intersection of Lexington Street and California Avenue. According to reports, Maurice Jones and another man, aged 39, were approached by Napoleon Sharkey, also known as "Jackknife," who was driving a white Infiniti SUV.
Sharkey, a 32-year-old parolee, allegedly held the two men at gunpoint from the driver's side window. The 39-year-old man, who had known Sharkey for a decade, recognized him immediately. As Sharkey slowly turned the corner, still pointing the gun at the men, the 39-year-old began to run and heard a series of gunshots as he fled. He was struck in the buttocks, and when he looked back, he saw Maurice Jones lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Jones was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Napoleon Sharkey was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the shooting. Witness statements and surveillance video linked Sharkey to the crime, and he was identified by the 39-year-old victim both by his nickname and in a photo array. During a court hearing, Judge Arthur Wesley Willis denied Sharkey bail, citing his danger to the community and his prior convictions for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Sharkey's brother, who attended the hearing, insisted that Sharkey was not responsible for the shooting but declined to comment further.
The investigation into Maurice Jones's death revealed that six Smith and Wesson .40-caliber shell casings were recovered from the scene. Eight different POD cameras tracked Sharkey's Infiniti after the shooting, and a cell phone number provided by Sharkey to the Illinois Department of Corrections matched the locations of the Infiniti as it drove away from the scene. Despite the evidence presented, no motive for the shooting was provided by Cook County prosecutors during the court proceedings. The case remains a stark reminder of the violence that continues to plague Chicago's neighborhoods.
