On Christmas night in 2019, a burst of gunfire shattered the holiday peace in a Coralville, Iowa neighborhood, leaving a 30-year-old man, Gregory Jackson of Iowa City, dead. The male victim was one of four people shot in the incident, which occurred around 9:30 p.m. in the 900 block of Boston Way. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered three adults with gunshot wounds.
All three were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Despite medical efforts, Gregory Jackson succumbed to a gunshot wound to his torso. His death was subsequently ruled a homicide. Two other victims were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A fourth individual, also suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, later presented at the hospital in connection with the same event. Authorities indicated that the shooting was not a random act of violence, stating that all individuals involved were acquainted with one another. A witness in the vicinity reported hearing approximately nine gunshots at the time of the incident.
The investigation into the deadly shooting continued for months. In April 2020, a significant breakthrough occurred when two suspects were apprehended in Kentucky. Brothers Milton L. McAbee, 19, and Elijah McAbee, 18, both from Chicago, Illinois, were taken into custody. Following their arrest, they were held at the Hardin County Detention Center in Kentucky, awaiting extradition to Iowa to face charges related to the Christmas Day shooting.
Milton L. McAbee was charged with first-degree murder for his role in Gregory Jackson's death. His younger brother, Elijah McAbee, faced charges of aiding and abetting, as well as attempted murder. At the time of their arrests, law enforcement officials stated that the case remained an open investigation, suggesting the possibility of additional charges or the identification of other suspects.
