Jaylen Burns, a 21-year-old Black man from the Chicago area, was a senior at Jackson State University with a bright future. He was majoring in industrial technology, made the dean's list every year, and was a beloved campus leader. His family described him as a "born leader" who was ambitious and intelligent. He was an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and served as president of the C100 Chapter at JSU, an affiliate of the 100 Black Men of America.
The shooting occurred
on Sunday, October 15, 2023, during the university’s homecoming weekend in Jackson, Mississippi. According to his father, Jaylen was at the University Pointe Apartments when a fight broke out after one of his fraternity brothers got into an argument with a woman. When Jaylen tried to de-escalate the conflict, he was shot multiple times. He attempted to drive himself to the hospital but was unable to make it. First responders found him and transported him to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The investigation began with a series of missteps. Within days, police arrested two men: 19-year-old Joshua Brown for murder and Jamison Kelly Jr. as an accessory. However, Brown’s family and friends quickly produced evidence, including surveillance video and GPS data, that proved he was nearly 100 miles away at the time of the shooting. Within weeks, a judge determined there was insufficient evidence, and both men were released. Brown later filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful imprisonment and defamation. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) took over the case on November 9, 2023.
After what officials called a diligent, two-year investigation, the MBI announced a breakthrough in November 2025 with the arrests of four individuals. Marquis Scales, 24, and Ziqua Amos, 21, were both charged with murder. Jamison Kelly Jr., 23, the same man who had been previously released, was arrested again and charged with accessory after the fact. A fourth suspect, 23-year-old Elisha Brown, was arrested in Atlanta and extradited to Mississippi to face charges of accessory after the fact and hindering prosecution.
The case against most of the suspects, however, eventually fell apart. In April 2026, charges against Elisha Brown were dropped after the statute of limitations expired before her case was presented to a grand jury. Two months later, a Hinds County grand jury declined to indict Marquis Scales and Jamison Kelly Jr. As of June 2026, Ziqua Amos was the sole suspect still facing charges in connection with the death of Jaylen Burns.
