In a hallway of the Diplomat North Apartments in Beech Grove, Indiana, a heated dispute on the evening of April 25, 2023, turned deadly, claiming the life of DeMarcus Antonio French, a 26-year-old Black male. The altercation, which began as a conflict involving French's sister, her ex-girlfriend, D'Yauni Wilkins-Jones, and Wilkins-Jones's current girlfriend, tragically escalated when French attempted to step in and de-escalate the situation.
At approximately 9:17 p.m., police were
dispatched to the 2400 block of Albany Street following reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered French with a single gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was rushed to Eskenazi Hospital for medical attention but succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.
The investigation into the shooting identified 22-year-old D'Yauni Wilkins-Jones as the alleged shooter. According to reports, during the argument, Wilkins-Jones is said to have produced a firearm and threatened to shoot if anyone moved. It was at this point that she allegedly fired multiple shots, striking French as he tried to intervene.
Following the incident, Wilkins-Jones was arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of misdemeanor battery. Court documents indicated that she expressed a lack of remorse for her actions after the shooting. A pretrial hearing for Wilkins-Jones was scheduled for February 13, 2024, with a jury trial set to begin on February 20, 2024.
