Jumil Dewann Robertson, a 17-year-old African American male and Glenn High School student, tragically lost his life on October 17, 2019, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The incident occurred around 10:32 p.m. on Argonne Boulevard, where police found Robertson on the side of the road suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite the efforts of fire officials and Forsyth County EMS, Robertson succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The investigation revealed that the shooter fled the scene immediately after the incident.
The investigation into Robertson's death led to the arrest of four individuals. Jose Noyola Toledo, 17, and Manuel Mejia Jimenez, 17, both of Winston-Salem, were charged with murder in connection with the shooting. Warrants for Jimenez indicated that the shooting was part of a pattern of gang activity. Additionally, Francisco Javier Dominguez-Bautista, 18, and Kelly Roman-Marin, 20, were also charged with murder in connection with the incident. Dominguez-Bautista, Toledo, and a 16-year-old were further charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling in connection with a separate shooting on South Broad Street shortly before the incident on Argonne Boulevard. No injuries were reported in the South Broad Street shooting.
The police investigation determined that the same gun was used in both the Argonne Boulevard and South Broad Street shootings. However, they concluded that Robertson's murder was not directly connected to the earlier shooting on South Broad Street. The suspects involved in Robertson's murder were all former students of Glenn High School. The police have not disclosed a specific motive for the crime, but the involvement of gang activity suggests a possible underlying cause.
Robertson's death highlighted the issue of youth violence in Winston-Salem, with statistics from the Winston-Salem Police Department showing a slight increase in homicides and aggravated assaults committed by offenders younger than 17 in 2019 compared to the previous year. The community mourned the loss of Robertson, with his family and friends holding a candlelight vigil at the site of the shooting and funeral services held on November 1, 2019. The case remains a stark reminder of the impact of violence on young lives and the importance of addressing the root causes of such incidents.
