In the early morning hours of January 26, 2025, the life of 16-year-old Jamarco Dye was tragically cut short in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The young man was found deceased in a grassy area behind an apartment building on Audley Avenue, the victim of a fatal shooting.
The events leading to Jamarco's death began with a phone call. Taylor D'Aisa Barnett, 27, contacted her brother, Tylan Jermane Barnett, 22, shortly after midnight, claiming that someone had attempted to break into her
apartment. In response, Tylan went to his sister's residence. He later told police that he saw two individuals approaching the back of the apartment, which prompted him to go onto the back patio.
According to Tylan Barnett's account to law enforcement, one of the individuals ran away. He then fired multiple shots at Jamarco Dye from approximately 20 yards away, causing him to fall. After the shooting, Tylan allegedly walked near Jamarco's body and discarded the firearm into a nearby brush line before returning to the apartment to shower. Police later recovered the gun and 15 shell casings from the scene. A cell phone was found near Jamarco's body with an active Facetime call, and a 15-year-old on the other end of the call reported hearing gunshots followed by a man's derogatory statement and a final shot.
Following an investigation by the Bowling Green Police Department, Tylan Jermane Barnett was arrested on the same day as the shooting and was later indicted by a Warren County grand jury on charges of murder and tampering with physical evidence. His sister, Taylor D'Aisa Barnett, was also indicted on a charge of tampering with physical evidence. Tylan Barnett's attorney has argued that his client was acting in self-defense, seeking to have the case dismissed under Kentucky's 'Stand Your Ground' law. The individual who was with Jamarco that night denied any attempt to break into apartments, stating they were on their way to a convenience store.
