In the fading daylight of a Monday evening in Glendale, Arizona, the life of 31-year-old Coylee Willis was brought to an abrupt and violent end. On September 28, 2020, Willis was in the parking lot of an apartment complex near Ocotillo Road and 65th Avenue when he was confronted by another man. The encounter, for reasons that remain under investigation, escalated tragically. Gunshots shattered the evening calm around 7:40 p.m., and Willis was struck multiple times.
He died at the scene.
Initial police descriptions of the suspect painted a picture of a tall, slender Black man, last seen wearing a black beanie and a black hoodie, who fled after the shooting. The Glendale Police Department, aided by a gunshot detection system called 'ShotSpotter' that alerted them to the gunfire, launched an investigation into the fatal altercation.
The search for the person responsible for Willis's death led investigators to identify 26-year-old Jaytavyonne 'Jay Loco' Garrett as the suspect. A few days later, on a Wednesday, police located Garrett. After a brief attempt to evade officers, he was apprehended in a nearby apartment complex. Garrett was subsequently booked into jail, facing charges of 2nd-degree murder, illegal weapons possession, and criminal damage in connection with the death of Coylee Willis.
