In the spring of 2024, a senseless act of violence tragically cut short the life of Mark Wayne Jackson, a 53-year-old male from New Baltimore, Michigan. On the night of April 9th, Jackson was visiting his daughter at her apartment on Interfaith Boulevard in Kalamazoo when gunfire erupted outside. He was not the intended target of the violence that unfolded, but a stray bullet tragically found its way through the front door of the residence, striking and killing him.
Kalamazoo Department
of Public Safety officers responded to reports of shots fired and discovered a chaotic scene. A vehicle with bullet holes had crashed in the area, and numerous shell casings littered the ground. Inside the apartment, they found Jackson suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite the immediate medical aid provided by officers and paramedics, his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify persons of interest. Two individuals were initially taken into custody on charges unrelated to the homicide. The investigation ultimately focused on Jamyre Thompson, a 20-year-old from Kalamazoo. It was determined that Thompson had been firing a gun into an occupied vehicle in the apartment complex's parking lot. It was one of these rounds that pierced the apartment door and killed the unsuspecting Mark Jackson.
In April of 2025, a jury found Jamyre Thompson guilty of manslaughter in connection with Mark Jackson's death. In addition to the manslaughter conviction, Thompson was also found guilty on two counts of felony firearm, resisting and obstructing police, and being a habitual offender. He was scheduled for sentencing in May of that year.
