In the early morning hours of October 11, 2022, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 30-year-old Tamiqua Wright, a Black/African American female, was driving her car near the intersection of 44th Street and Eastern Avenue SE. A mother of five, she had recently celebrated her 30th birthday and was also pregnant. Tragically, her life was cut short when the passenger in her vehicle shot and killed her.
The car then crashed, and the suspect fled the scene on foot.
The man responsible for Tamiqua's death was identified as 30-year-old Patrick Jones, who was the father of one of her children. In the weeks following the shooting, law enforcement, including the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force, actively searched for Jones. The Kent County Prosecutor's Office had authorized charges against him for open murder, carrying a concealed weapon, and other firearm offenses. Jones also had a history of domestic violence, home invasion, and robbery.
The search for Patrick Jones came to a dramatic end on December 1, 2022. Acting on a tip, officers located him in an alley. A 'running gun battle' ensued between Jones and three officers, which ended with Jones being fatally shot. It was not immediately clear if he was struck by police gunfire or if his wound was self-inflicted. For Tamiqua's grieving family, who described her as a loving and dedicated mother focused on her children and her job as a pharmacy technician, the death of her killer brought a sense of closure, though they continue to mourn her loss.
