In the fall of 2019, a heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded in the Tacony section of Northeast Philadelphia, forever altering a family. On the night of October 14, 10-month-old Damaya Alcindor, a female, was killed inside her home on Hegerman Street. The devastating event also claimed the lives of her 4-year-old sister, Maxillie Alcindor, and their 38-year-old father, Max Alcindor. All three family members died from gunshot wounds.
The person responsible for this horrific act was the children's mother and Max's wife, 28-year-old Damyrra Jones. On that Monday night, shortly before 10 p.m., neighbors heard gunfire and alerted the police. When officers arrived, they discovered a scene of unimaginable violence. Max Alcindor was found deceased inside the residence. The two young girls, Damaya and Maxillie, were critically wounded but still alive. First responders rushed them to a nearby children's hospital, but tragically, both succumbed to their injuries shortly after arrival.
Authorities stated that Jones had legally purchased the handgun shortly before the killings. After shooting her husband and two young daughters, she turned the gun on herself in an attempt to take her own life. She was found outside the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Despite the severity of her injury, she survived. While in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Jones confessed to the killings and told first responders that she did not want to be resuscitated.
Following the incident, Damyrra Jones was arrested and faced a series of serious charges. She was charged with three counts of murder for the deaths of her husband and two daughters. In addition to the murder charges, she was also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of possessing an instrument of a crime.
