In the late morning of September 15, 2021, a dispute that began with words at Ballou High School escalated into deadly violence on a street in Southeast Washington, D.C. Thirty-seven-year-old Tarshaqua Chappell, a Black female from Temple Hills, Maryland, found herself the target of a fatal shooting. At approximately 11:53 a.m., in the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE, shots were fired, leaving Ms. Chappell with gunshot wounds.
Emergency services rushed her to a local hospital, but her injuries proved too severe, and she was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Tarshaqua Chappell's death led authorities to a mother and her teenage son. On December 9, 2021, police arrested 37-year-old Chakeatia Jackson and charged her with second-degree murder while armed. Less than a week later, her 18-year-old son, Jaquell Jackson, was also taken into custody and faced the same charge. Court documents revealed that the shooting stemmed from a verbal altercation between Chakeatia Jackson and Tarshaqua Chappell that had occurred earlier at the high school. Following the dispute, Chakeatia Jackson allegedly pointed out Ms. Chappell's vehicle to her son, who then fired into the car.
As the case proceeded through the legal system, both mother and son ultimately entered guilty pleas. Jaquell Jackson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed. His mother, Chakeatia Jackson, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. For his role in the fatal shooting, Jaquell Jackson was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Chakeatia Jackson received a three-year prison sentence for her involvement in the events that led to the death of Tarshaqua Chappell.
