On the evening of December 27, 2019, Corey Gomes, a 35-year-old male from Hamden, Connecticut, was fatally shot outside the Express Fuel gas station on Dixwell Avenue. Gomes had accompanied his cousin to the location for what was supposed to be a marijuana transaction. The arranged buyer, however, had ulterior motives of robbery.
The individual who had arranged to purchase marijuana was Pharoh Jackson, a 20-year-old from New Haven.
During the transaction, Jackson brandished a firearm in an attempt to rob them. A physical altercation ensued between Jackson and Gomes. In the struggle, Jackson fired his weapon multiple times, striking Gomes. After the shooting, Jackson fled the scene in a vehicle with at least one other person. Gomes was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The Hamden Police Department's Major Crimes Unit, led by Detective Matthew Barbuto, quickly launched an investigation. Through their efforts, which included the use of social media analysis and examination of text messages between Gomes' cousin and the suspect, they identified Pharoh Jackson as the person responsible for the shooting. With the assistance of the Bridgeport Police Department and the U.S. Marshal Service Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force, law enforcement located and arrested Jackson on January 3, 2020.
Pharoh Jackson was charged with felony murder and first-degree robbery. When questioned by police, Jackson admitted to shooting Gomes during the attempted robbery. In September 2023, Jackson pleaded guilty to felony murder. Subsequently, in November 2023, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Corey Gomes.
