On the evening of February 18, 2023, a sense of normalcy was shattered in a Rochester, New York neighborhood, leaving a family grieving and a community in shock. Jermaine Wilkins, a 35-year-old male, was walking near the intersection of Denver and Melville Streets when his life was abruptly and senselessly cut short. In a sudden burst of violence, an individual emerged from a vehicle and fired a rifle at least three times, striking Wilkins.
Mortally wounded, he ran to a nearby house on Parsells Avenue, desperately seeking help. Despite the immediate efforts of the residents who called 911 and the life-saving measures attempted by both citizens and responding officers, Jermaine Wilkins succumbed to his injuries on the porch of that home.
The investigation into the tragic shooting soon uncovered a chilling connection to another act of violence that had occurred earlier the same day. Investigators determined that the person responsible for Wilkins' death was also involved in a shooting incident on Scio Street that afternoon. In that earlier event, an individual had exited a vehicle and fired multiple shots from a handgun at a man on the sidewalk. Fortunately, no one was injured in that instance. Through their exhaustive investigation, the Rochester Police Department identified 17-year-old Kyelon Marbury as the suspect in both shootings. The investigation revealed no prior connection between Marbury and Jermaine Wilkins, suggesting a disturbingly random act of violence.
On July 21, 2023, members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force and the Rochester Police Department SWAT Team located and apprehended Kyelon Marbury at a hotel in the neighboring town of Henrietta. He was taken into custody without incident and subsequently charged with second-degree murder for the death of Jermaine Wilkins, as well as reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon related to the Scio Street shooting. Marbury, who was 19 years old at the time of his trial, was later also charged in connection with another homicide.
In November 2025, a Monroe County jury found Kyelon Marbury guilty of Murder in the 2nd Degree for the killing of Jermaine Wilkins. He was also convicted of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree for his actions on that violent February day. The conviction brought a measure of justice to the family of Jermaine Wilkins, though the profound loss of a life taken with such callous indifference continues to resonate.
