On the evening of October 2, 2020, Jamain Allen, a 40-year-old Black male, was fatally shot at his workplace, the Quick Stop Barbershop on Pequonnock Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Shortly after 8 p.m., a gunman entered the barbershop and opened fire on employees and patrons. Allen was shot multiple times, including in the head, and was found in a lot adjacent to the barbershop. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second employee, Jose Rivera, was also shot once in the arm but survived the attack.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a motive rooted in retaliation over a drug-related theft. Weeks before the murder, Allen's brother had reportedly stolen three kilograms of cocaine from a man named Tavares Jefferson. In an act of revenge, Jefferson targeted Allen at his place of work. Three days after the shooting, Allen's relative came forward to the police, stating he believed he might have been the cause of Allen's death. He explained that he and a friend had broken into what they thought was a sneaker store and inadvertently stole the cocaine. Following the theft, armed men had reportedly broken into the relative's home, leaving a message with his young son that they wanted their "property" back or someone would die.
Tavares Jefferson, then 47, of Bridgeport, was identified as the suspect and subsequently arrested. He was charged with murder, first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit. In October 2024, a jury in Bridgeport Superior Court found Jefferson guilty on all charges. In December 2024, Tavares Jefferson was sentenced to 90 years in prison for the murder of Jamain Allen and the assault of Jose Rivera.
