On the evening of December 2, 2017, in Cleveland, Ohio, 21-year-old Jared Plesec, a Salvation Army worker and Bible study teacher, was fatally shot in the head by 27-year-old William Jones in the lobby of his apartment complex. Plesec was holding a Bible when he was shot, and his death was witnessed by residents of the building, some of whom recorded the incident and broadcast it on Facebook Live.
Jones made several statements after the shooting, including "Fuck Trump," "A life for a life," and "I did it fo y'all, man," which were captured on video. Following the murder, Jones went on a crime spree that lasted 63 minutes, during which he attempted multiple carjackings and shot at several people. He was eventually captured in Lakewood, Ohio.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office announced that the murder appeared to be racially motivated and worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine if federal hate crime laws had been violated. On April 17, 2018, Jones pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, felonious assault, attempted murder, burglary, and other charges to avoid capital punishment. He was sentenced to life without parole.
In 2019, a lawsuit was filed against the management of the apartment complex where Plesec was shot, citing a history of violent crimes at the location and a lack of adequate security measures. The Salvation Army held a service for Plesec, attended by members of his family and community members who remembered him for his devout faith and outreach work.
Jones's allocution statement during sentencing included an apology to Plesec's family and references to other high-profile cases involving racial violence. He invoked the slogan "Black Lives Matter" and questioned whether black lives were valued equally. The judge responded by stating that the attempt to justify Plesec's murder was incomprehensible and that all lives matter.
Plesec's legacy continues through the impact he had on the community and the ongoing efforts to seek justice for his death.
