In the early hours of a Friday morning in Swissvale, a suburb of Pittsburgh, an argument that began inside a mini-mart tragically escalated, leading to the death of 31-year-old Jamie J. 'Moe' Jones. The incident, which unfolded on May 26, 2023, also left two other men wounded.
Jamie Jones and three of his relatives had been at a bar together before they walked to the NM Mart on Noble Street. It was there that they encountered Bryan Perkins-Jiles, 36, who had arrived in a white Lincoln.
A seemingly innocuous request from one of Jones's cousins for Perkins-Jiles to buy him a Red Bull preceded the violence that would soon erupt.
Shortly after this interaction, all the men moved outside the store, where an argument broke out just before 2:30 a.m. The heated exchange quickly turned violent as shots were fired. In the aftermath, two of the victims were transported to the hospital by medics, while a third was taken by a private vehicle. Jones was one of the men shot and was rushed to UPMC Mercy Hospital in critical condition. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries just before 7 p.m. that evening. The other two victims were listed in stable condition.
The investigation into the shooting led homicide detectives to identify Bryan Perkins-Jiles of Carrick as the man responsible. It was discovered that Perkins-Jiles had also been shot during the incident, likely from return fire at the scene, and had driven himself to the hospital. Following the death of Jamie Jones, Perkins-Jiles was charged with homicide. His initial charges also included two counts of criminal attempt homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, and firearms violations.
