In the summer of 2024, a life full of promise was tragically cut short in Madison, Tennessee. Justin Jamir Robinson, a 16-year-old male, was shot and killed on June 12th at Madison Park on North Dupont Avenue. He was about to enter his senior year of high school with aspirations of joining the military to help people.
On that Wednesday afternoon, Robinson was at the park with a teenage friend when they encountered at least two other young men, and an argument ensued. As Robinson and his friend began to walk away from the confrontation, shots were fired. Robinson was struck in the back while trying to flee the scene. In response, his friend drew his own weapon and returned fire. A passerby discovered the wounded teenager and transported him and his friend to Skyline Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. The shooter was believed to have fled the scene on foot.
For over a year, Justin's mother, Shontel Jenkins, publicly pleaded for anyone with information to come forward, fearing her son would become just another statistic of gun violence. The investigation continued, and police released images of individuals wanted for questioning.
A significant breakthrough in the case came on October 20, 2025, when detectives from the Metro Nashville Police Department's TITANS Unit arrested 18-year-old Jerome Mackey. Mackey was taken into custody at the very same park where the shooting had occurred more than a year prior and was found to be armed with a pistol at the time of his arrest. He was charged with criminal homicide in connection with Robinson's death. Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute between two rival groups from Hunters Lane High School. Because Mackey was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, he was booked into juvenile detention.
