In the late afternoon of September 5, 2023, a dispute at a motel in Norcross, Georgia, escalated into a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 28-year-old Dareese Amir Ellis. The male victim was discovered by Gwinnett County Police officers around 5:45 p.m. in the parking lot of the HomeTowne Studios on Jimmy Carter Boulevard. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound following an altercation.
Both Ellis and the man later identified as the suspect were residents of the motel. Witnesses reported that an argument between the two men preceded the deadly shooting. Following the incident, the suspected gunman fled the scene on foot, prompting an immediate search by law enforcement, which included K-9 units.
Investigators quickly identified 21-year-old Jay Dante Crump of Peachtree Corners as the primary suspect in Ellis's death. A warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. After several days at large, Crump surrendered to authorities by walking into the Gwinnett County Jail on September 10, 2023. He was taken into custody and, according to jail records at the time, was being held without bond.
