Shatina Jones, a 46-year-old Black female from Buffalo, New York, traveled to Rochester in May 2024 to celebrate her daughter's 26th birthday. The celebration included attending a concert at the Blue Cross Arena on the evening of May 5th. Following the concert, Shatina went to stay the night at the home of her best friend of over three decades on Rialto Street. In the early hours of May 6, she stepped out onto the porch for a cigarette.
It was then that gunfire erupted, and Shatina was tragically shot and killed.
The shooting on Rialto Street resulted in the death of not only Shatina Jones but also 43-year-old Timothy Chealey of Rochester. A third individual, a man in his 20s, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators believe the shooting was a targeted event that stemmed from an altercation that had occurred earlier at the concert. Family members described Shatina as a loving, fun, caring, and non-judgmental mother of four and grandmother of two who was the rock of their family. They expressed profound shock and grief, stating she was an innocent victim of senseless gun violence.
The investigation into the double homicide led to the arrest of 23-year-old Jermaine Williams on May 31 in Niagara Falls. He was subsequently charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Shatina Jones and Timothy Chealey. During Williams' arraignment, a confrontation broke out in the courtroom between the families of the victims and the suspect's family, leading to two arrests for disorderly conduct. The investigation into the tragic shooting is ongoing as the families of the victims continue to mourn their losses and call for justice.
