Jamar Avery Muse was a 16-year-old student at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, who loved rap music, swimming, basketball, and football. The Black/African American male had been raised by his grandmother, Patricia Ann Dennis, since he was a baby. She later recalled the profound grief of his absence, saying, “I’m still looking for him to come through the door… I’ve had Jamar since he was a baby.
And I miss him.”
On the night of August 12, 2023, Jamar was at a party with other juveniles in the 100 block of Patton Avenue Northwest. Shortly before midnight, the party ended and people began to gather outside the residence. Suddenly, a man opened fire. Police responded to the scene at about 12:05 a.m. and found Jamar lying outside with a critical gunshot wound.
Emergency responders transported Jamar to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where he later died. The medical examiner’s office confirmed his cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back. A second teenager was also injured during the shooting and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
In the ensuing investigation, detectives interviewed multiple witnesses who were at the party. They learned that a man known to them as “Ricco” was the person who had started shooting into the crowd. This information helped investigators identify a suspect in the killing.
Several months later, in March 2024, a Roanoke grand jury handed down an indictment against 34-year-old Ronald Lee Bonds III in connection with the shooting. Bonds was arrested and charged for his role in Jamar's death. The case concluded when Bonds pleaded no contest to two charges related to the incident. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced, bringing the legal proceedings to a close.
