Keishianta Coleman, a 22-year-old African American woman, was found dead on November 19, 2019, in her Washington Heights home on the South Side of Chicago. The tragic incident occurred after an argument with her boyfriend. Authorities discovered her unresponsive and bleeding from head trauma in her bedroom around 10:10 p.m. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed that her death was a homicide caused by the gunshot wound.
The investigation revealed that Keishianta Coleman had been arguing with her boyfriend before her death. Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang, and her sister, who was in a nearby room, saw the boyfriend leaving the house in a hurried manner. Despite these accounts, the boyfriend was not immediately classified as a suspect, and no one was in custody initially. The case was being investigated as a possible domestic violence incident.
In June 2020, Lawrence Jackson, a 23-year-old man, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection to Keishianta Coleman's death. Jackson, who regularly stayed with Coleman, was identified as the primary suspect after a thorough investigation. Evidence included witness testimonies and phone records placing Jackson at the scene of the crime. Additionally, it was discovered that Jackson's Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card had been revoked, and he had purchased a 9mm semi-automatic gun earlier in the year. An empty box for the gun was found in Coleman's bedroom.
Jackson's bail was set at $2 million, and he faced a court hearing in July 2020. The case highlighted the ongoing issues of domestic violence and gun violence in Chicago, drawing attention to the need for more robust measures to protect individuals in abusive relationships. Keishianta Coleman's family continued to seek justice for her untimely death, hoping that the legal proceedings would bring some closure to their tragic loss.
