Donte Cordell Swan, 38, a Black male from Jacksonville, was shot in the early hours of May 15, 2025, outside his home on Wheat Road near Ricker Road after confronting people he and his fiancée saw attempting to break into their cars on a home security feed. According to local reporting and police statements, Swan stepped outside to warn them off; moments later, he was shot twice and mortally wounded, and he died after being taken to the hospital.
His fiancée, Iesha Gibson, recounted that they had watched the intruders on camera and that Swan called out for them to leave the vehicles alone just before gunfire erupted.
In the weeks that followed, family and neighbors described Swan as a devoted father who was protecting his home and loved ones in a split-second decision that turned tragic. Coverage at the time noted his role within a large family and the shock that rippled through the Westside neighborhood where the shooting occurred.
Investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office later identified a suspect: Andre Thomas, who police said was 17 at the time of the shooting. In early October 2025, authorities announced his arrest and that he would face a murder charge as an adult in connection with Swan’s killing, alleging he was among those attempting to break into cars on Swan’s property when the confrontation unfolded. Multiple reports indicate the State Attorney’s Office moved forward with adult charges, and police accounts say Thomas shot Swan during the encounter.
Police and media reports place the shooting on May 15 and at Swan’s Wheat Road residence, aligning with incident listings in regional gun-violence databases. An obituary confirms his identity and age, and memorial pages record his death that day in Jacksonville.
