A friendly evening cookout at the Coolavin Apartments in Lexington, Kentucky, took a tragic turn, ending the life of 24-year-old Aaron Coney. On the night of April 14, 2019, what began as a social gathering among acquaintances descended into violence. As the party progressed and attendees became intoxicated, a physical altercation broke out between Coney and another man, 25-year-old Damarcus Daquron Jones.
Following the fight, Jones left the apartment, only to return a short time later
armed with a handgun. He forced his way back into the residence, looking for Coney. Witnesses reported that Jones located Coney in the kitchen area and fired multiple shots. Coney was struck four times and rushed to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds in the early hours of the following morning. Coney was a father who, according to his social media, worked for Amazon.
The Lexington police quickly identified Damarcus Jones as the suspect in the shooting. He was located and arrested the next day during a traffic stop. During interviews with detectives, Jones acknowledged being at the cookout and fighting with Coney. However, he claimed that he had no memory of returning to the apartment with a weapon or firing it, stating to police that he only 'came to' later while in a car. Although the murder weapon was not recovered, investigators found Snapchat videos from the party that showed a handgun being passed around among the attendees.
Following his arrest, Jones was charged with murder. His case proceeded to the court system, where a detective testified about the events of that fatal night, including eyewitness accounts identifying Jones as the shooter. After a preliminary hearing, the case was sent to a grand jury, which later indicted him on the murder charge. Jones was held at the Fayette County jail on a $500,000 bond while awaiting trial for the death of Aaron Coney.
