In the summer of 2014, a violent incident cut short the life of 17-year-old Shomari Peterson Jr. in Jackson, Tennessee. On the evening of July 27th, a dispute at the Parkway East Apartments escalated tragically, resulting in a double shooting that left Peterson dead and another man, 21-year-old Thomas Reid, critically injured. The shots rang out around 5:07 p.m., and when police arrived at the scene on Carver Avenue, they found that Peterson had succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Reid was rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to two brothers, 17-year-old Jernigel Blackwell, who also went by the name Jernigel Waller, and his 21-year-old brother, Jakeil Waller. According to witness testimony, the altercation began with Blackwell firing a shot into the air before both he and his brother allegedly fired into a crowd of people, striking Peterson and Reid. The day after the shooting, on July 28th, authorities apprehended Blackwell. His brother, Jakeil Waller, was taken into custody the following day.
Initially, both brothers faced serious charges, including the first-degree murder of Shomari Peterson and the attempted first-degree murder of Thomas Reid. Given the severity of the crime, the district attorney's office filed a motion to have the juvenile, Jernigel Blackwell, tried as an adult. A judge subsequently ruled in favor of this motion, and Blackwell was transferred to the Madison County Jail to await trial.
In December 2014, the Madison County Grand Jury indicted Jakeil Waller and Jernigel Blackwell. The charges for Jakeil Waller were later amended to second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Following a trial, a jury found Jakeil Waller guilty of second-degree murder and the lesser charge of felony reckless endangerment. For his role in the shooting that ended Shomari Peterson Jr.'s life and injured another, the court sentenced him to serve an effective sentence of twenty-seven years in prison.
