In the early hours of May 6, 2020, the life of 17-year-old Jalen Pickens was tragically cut short in Gary, Indiana. The male teenager, a Black / African American, was at a residence in the 3200 block of E. 12th Avenue when the incident occurred just before 1 a.m. Jalen was reportedly asleep on a sofa when he sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
According to witness accounts detailed in court documents, another 17-year-old, Isaiah Johnson, was playing with an AK-style pistol at
the time. Witnesses stated that Johnson disengaged the weapon's safety, aimed it at the sleeping Jalen, and pulled the trigger. It was reported that Johnson initially seemed to laugh after the shot but then began to cry. The two teenagers were known to have frequent, minor disagreements. The firearm used in the shooting had been loaned to one of the witnesses by another individual and was later recovered by law enforcement.
Following an investigation into the shooting, Isaiah Johnson was formally charged with murder on May 20, 2020. However, on August 23, 2020, Johnson entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. In December of 2021, a judge sentenced Johnson to nine years in prison for his role in Jalen Pickens' death. He was also credited with two years for time already served.
