In the warm afternoon of June 12, 2022, a sense of community and recreation at Galloway Park in Brundidge, Alabama, was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of a young man. Jalen JaQuan Xandarrius Harris, a 21-year-old Black / African American male, was fatally shot, leaving a family and community in mourning. A native of the nearby town of Clio, Harris was a 2019 graduate of Barbour County High School who had gone on to serve his country in the United States Army. After his military service, he had returned to the area and was working at the Walmart distribution center in Brundidge.
The Brundidge Police Department was alerted to the shooting at approximately 4:00 p.m. and, upon their arrival at the park, they discovered the tragic scene. The news of Harris's untimely death sent shockwaves through the community, as friends and family remembered him as a respected individual with a promising future. The investigation into his death was swift, and within days, law enforcement officials were able to identify a suspect.
On June 13, 2022, the day after the fatal shooting, the Brundidge Police Department, with assistance from the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and the 12th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, made an arrest in connection with the murder of Jalen Harris. The suspect was identified as 17-year-old Ja'Cmarion Sovon Easter of Troy. Despite his age, it was determined that Easter would be charged as an adult with one count of murder. Following his arrest, he was transported to the Pike County Jail where his bond was set at $1 million.
