On Christmas Eve morning in Rosedale, Maryland, four-year-old Jacobi SaFiir Marcelle, a male, was fatally shot in a devastating act of domestic violence. The events unfolded around 6 a.m. in his family's apartment on Breslin Court. His mother, Promyss Marcelle, was in her bedroom with Jacobi and his one-year-old sister when the children's father, 30-year-old Mark C. Jones, entered and began arguing with her.
When young Jacobi asked his father to leave the room, Jones reportedly retrieved a handgun from a backpack and began to load it.
What followed was a burst of violence that shattered the holiday morning. Promyss Marcelle heard a loud 'boom' and felt her shirt become wet before falling to the floor, having been shot. Jones then shot his son, Jacobi, and his infant daughter. After shooting his family, Jones turned the gun on himself in a failed suicide attempt. Marcelle managed to flee the apartment to get help. Police responded to reports of a shooting and found the mother and her two children with gunshot wounds. All three were transported to a local hospital, where Jacobi was pronounced deceased. His mother and sister survived their injuries.
Hours before the fatal shooting, Promyss Marcelle had reportedly feared for her safety and called 911. She said Jones was upset and trying to start a fight, which led her to hide in the bathroom to make the call. She stated that when officers arrived, they spoke to both her and Jones but did not remove him from the apartment, telling her that since no crime had been committed and there was a piece of mail addressed to him, they could not force him to leave.
Following the incident, Mark C. Jones was arrested on December 29th and faced charges including first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, child abuse, and assault. He was held without bond. The community responded with grief and support, holding vigils and a community walk to raise awareness about domestic violence. Jacobi's mother has since become an advocate, seeking to honor her son's memory by pushing for 'Jacobi's Law,' legislation aimed at improving how first responders handle domestic violence situations.
