On a tragic afternoon in Sandy, Utah, the life of 6-year-old Jase Dylan Rackley, a White male, was abruptly cut short. On June 6, 2017, Jase was walking home from Brookwood Elementary School with his mother, Memorez Rackley, and his older brother when they were targeted in a horrifying act of violence. The young boy, who had just completed kindergarten and was eagerly looking forward to first grade, was known for his contagious smile and his ability to make everyone around him laugh.
He loved Minecraft, playing video games, and spending time with his brothers.
The perpetrator of this senseless act was Jeremy Patterson, a man who had been in a past relationship with Jase's mother. In the days leading up to the shooting, Memorez Rackley had grown increasingly fearful of Patterson, reporting to police that he was stalking and harassing her. She had expressed concerns for her own safety and that of her children. On that fateful day, Patterson confronted the family as they walked. A compassionate bystander, a woman driving by with her own child, noticed the escalating situation and offered the Rackleys a ride to safety in her SUV.
Patterson pursued them in his own vehicle, ramming the SUV and forcing it to a stop. He then exited his truck and opened fire on the vehicle. Jase and his mother, Memorez, were both killed in the shooting. Jase's 11-year-old brother and the young daughter of the woman who had stopped to help were also shot and injured. After inflicting this devastation, Jeremy Patterson then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life at the scene.
The incident was a murder-suicide, with Patterson being the sole suspect in the killings. As he died at the scene, no arrests were made. The investigation that followed painted a grim picture of Patterson's escalating desperation and violent intentions in the days prior to the attack. Text messages revealed his state of mind, where he had expressed his intent to harm Memorez Rackley. The community was left to mourn the loss of a bright young boy and his mother, victims of a devastating domestic violence episode that ended in tragedy.
