On the evening of May 18, 2024, BillyJo Perkins, a 50-year-old White woman, was walking her dog at the Ballinger Homes apartment complex in Shoreline, Washington, where she lived. Her quiet evening was shattered when she witnessed a dangerous confrontation in the complex. In an act of profound courage, she chose to step in, a decision that would tragically cost her her life but highlight her selfless character.
According to court documents, Perkins saw a teenager pointing a handgun at a
young female’s head and bravely attempted to intervene. The armed teen, later identified as 16-year-old Jaden Pierre Taylor, then turned on Perkins. He shot her three times at extremely close range. Perkins succumbed to her injuries at the scene, her body found near the management office building. During the shooting, one of the bullets also struck another teenager, a male identified as X.A., who was standing nearby. He was wounded in the abdomen but survived.
Investigators were called to the scene around 10 p.m. and soon learned that X.A. had appeared at a local hospital for treatment. Early the next morning, Taylor, who also lived in the apartment complex, showed up at a different hospital with a gunshot wound to his foot. Prosecutors later alleged this wound was self-inflicted in an attempt to cover up the murder or claim self-defense. A search of Taylor’s home uncovered ammunition and firearm parts, but the weapon used in the shooting was not recovered.
Based on evidence that included surveillance footage of the incident, Jaden Taylor was arrested. Citing his juvenile record, which included referrals for brandishing a firearm at school and a separate violent assault, prosecutors charged him as an adult with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
In February 2026, Jaden Taylor, then 18, entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter. The following month, in March 2026, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for recklessly causing the death of the woman who had tried to stop him.
