Marcus Terrell Ross was a 17-year-old student at Mullins High School, remembered by those who knew him as funny, courageous, strong, loving, and helpful. The life of the young Black male was cut short on the afternoon of February 8, 2023, in his hometown of Mullins, South Carolina, following a violent confrontation that ended in gunfire.
The series of events that led to the fatal shooting began inside Smith’s Grocery near downtown Mullins.
According to details presented in court, Marcus entered the store at 3:47 p.m. and made a purchase. Two minutes later, another teenager, Joseph Jones, also 17, walked in. After seeing Jones, Marcus positioned himself near the exit, appearing to prepare for a confrontation while waiting for Jones to leave. When Jones finished his purchase and walked out, Marcus began to follow him. Court documents later revealed that Marcus was carrying an open backpack which contained a can of mace and a large butcher knife.
Once out of view of the store’s cameras, a physical fight broke out between the two teenagers. The defense stated that Marcus initiated the physical confrontation by shoving Jones. During the struggle, a gun fell from Jones’s bag onto the ground. According to the defense’s account, Marcus reached for the weapon, prompting Jones to also go for it out of fear for his safety. The gun discharged during the fight for control, and Marcus was fatally wounded. He died at the scene.
The Mullins Police Department launched an investigation and soon identified Joseph Jeremiah Jones as the suspect. Jones voluntarily surrendered to the authorities and was subsequently taken into custody. He was formally charged with murder in connection with the death of Marcus Ross.
The case proceeded through the judicial system, and in November 2025, Circuit Court Judge William H. Seals dismissed the murder charge against Joseph Jones. The judge ruled that Jones had acted in legitimate self-defense. In his ruling, Judge Seals stated that the evidence showed that Marcus’s “aggression was the proximate cause of the shooting, which led to his death,” not Jones’s unlawful possession of a handgun. As a result of this decision, Jones was granted immunity from further criminal prosecution or civil litigation regarding the death of Marcus Ross. As of November 2025, the homicide case is considered legally resolved.
