In the spring of 2013, a burst of gunfire on a Baton Rouge street cut short the life of 20-year-old Jermayne Dovonbantu Jackson. On the evening of May 1st, Jackson was a passenger in a car driving through the 4200 block of Provost Street when the vehicle was struck by several bullets. Jackson and another passenger were hit by the gunfire.
The driver of the vehicle rushed to a nearby hospital, but it was too late for Jackson, who succumbed to his injuries.
The other wounded passenger received treatment for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Witnesses in the car later recounted to police the terrifying moment they heard the gunshots pierce their vehicle, quickly realizing two of them had been struck.
The investigation into the shooting led Baton Rouge Police to a suspect the following day. Jeremiah Brooden, who was 19 at the time, was taken into custody and subsequently arrested for his alleged role in Jackson's death. The motive for the shooting was not immediately made public by law enforcement officials as they began to build their case against Brooden.
Jermayne, a resident of Baton Rouge though originally from Hammond, was remembered by his family and friends as a loving son, brother, and friend. His death was a sudden and violent loss that left his community searching for answers. His family, including the mother who raised him, his biological mother, and numerous siblings, were left to mourn the young man whose life was tragically ended on that May evening.
