Robert Hayes, a 21-year-old Black/African American man, was shot late on April 23, 2021, at an apartment complex in the 300 block of North Caraway Road in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Officers responding just after 11 p.m. found him gravely wounded; life-saving measures were attempted, and he was taken to a local hospital where he died. A neighbor reported hearing an argument followed by a rapid burst of gunfire coming from an apartment below shortly before police arrived.
His identity and age were later confirmed publicly.
Detectives quickly focused on a suspect and broadcast lookout information. Within hours—around 2:40 a.m. on April 24—police located and arrested 25-year-old Zarkeem Jefferson of Columbia, Mississippi. Investigators said a 911 caller reported that Jefferson had shot someone and fled; officers documented the scene and continued interviews through the night.
At a court appearance the following Monday, a judge set Jefferson’s bond at $2 million cash-only. He was charged with first-degree murder in Hayes’s killing. Public incident records list the address as 301 N. Caraway Road and record that the victim was killed and the suspect arrested without injury. Subsequent booking records show Jefferson later faced a failure-to-appear charge in Craighead County unrelated to the initial arrest.
Robert L. Hayes IV’s obituary noted his April 23 death and funeral arrangements, underscoring the loss to his family and community. Community memorial pages also recorded the date, place, and circumstances of his death.
