In the early morning hours of April 28, 2013, a celebration turned to tragedy on the parking lot of Wolfe Enterprises in Jackson, Tennessee. Delandis Cortez Clark, a 31-year-old African American male, was leaving a graduation party when an argument broke out amongst the crowd. The dispute quickly escalated, and gunfire erupted, shattering the post-party atmosphere. When the chaos subsided, Clark and another man, 31-year-old Brian Jontez Banes, lay on the pavement with gunshot wounds.
Both men were rushed to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, but their injuries proved fatal, and they were pronounced dead. Two other individuals, a 32-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, also sustained gunshot wounds but survived.
The Jackson Police Department's investigation into the double homicide led them to identify two men in connection with the incident. Anthony Montrell Swift, also 31 at the time, was arrested by the department's Gang Task Force. At the time of his arrest, Swift was found in possession of a loaded. 45 caliber revolver. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Clark and Banes. Another man, Travontay Berry, was also implicated in the events of that night. Investigators determined that Berry had allegedly fired a semi-automatic handgun into the air during the initial argument on the parking lot.
While Anthony Montrell Swift faced the most serious charges stemming from the fatal shootings, Travontay Berry was charged with carrying a firearm for the purpose of going armed and tampering with evidence. Berry was later found guilty of these charges. For the firearm charge, he was sentenced to serve 11 months and 29 days, and he received a four-year sentence for tampering with evidence. The legal proceedings for Swift on the two counts of first-degree murder were set to be arraigned in Jackson City Court as he awaited trial. The deaths of Delandis Cortez Clark and Brian Jontez Banes sent ripples through the Jackson community, leaving family and friends to mourn their sudden and violent loss.
