In the early morning hours of January 15, 2015, a dispute in a Jackson, Mississippi gas station parking lot tragically escalated, ending the life of 34-year-old Christal Summers. Summers, a Black male, was a local rapper and the father of a daughter who was a member of the 'Dancing Dolls' dance team, famously featured on the television series 'Bring It'.
The fatal encounter occurred just before 4:30 a.m.
at the Laxmi gas station on Terry Road, where an argument between Summers and another individual turned violent. Summers was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another person present during the altercation was treated for a gunshot wound to the hand at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the gas station, which captured the incident, though it was not released to the public due to its graphic nature. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a suspect flee in a red car.
In the wake of the shooting, the Jackson Police Department identified a suspect, 23-year-old Jonathan Kelly. Kelly turned himself in to authorities on January 23, 2014, and was subsequently arrested. However, the initial charge against him was for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, not directly for the death of Summers. The investigation into the shooting continued, with authorities looking into whether the act was one of justifiable homicide. Reports from sources who viewed the security footage suggested that after an initial argument, both Summers and the suspect went to their respective vehicles. Summers then allegedly retrieved a handgun and was walking toward the other vehicle at the time he was shot. Information regarding any further charges or the final outcome of the legal proceedings has not been made publicly available.
