On the evening of September 2, 2016, a violent confrontation occurred in the parking lot of the Villages of Hanna apartment complex in Fort Wayne, Indiana, claiming the life of a young man. Jamal R. Anderson, a 24-year-old African American male, was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 1400 block of Greene Street. Police were dispatched to the scene around 8:45 p.m. following reports of shots fired in the area.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered Anderson lying on the pavement, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The incident marked the 27th homicide in Allen County for that year, prompting an immediate investigation by local authorities to uncover the events that led to the shooting.
The investigation revealed that the altercation stemmed from a drug transaction gone wrong. Mylinque Shaboz Wallace, who was 20 years old at the time, had driven to the apartment complex to sell marijuana to Anderson. According to court documents and statements provided to police, a dispute arose over the price and weight of the drugs. The disagreement escalated into a physical struggle when Anderson allegedly reached into Wallace's vehicle to grab the bag of marijuana. A 'tug of war' ensued, causing the bag to tear and spill its contents inside the car. Wallace claimed that Anderson began punching him during the scuffle, leading him to pull out a Glock 19 handgun. He fired a single shot without aiming, striking Anderson.
After the shot was fired, Wallace panicked and attempted to flee the scene in his vehicle. In his haste to escape, he reportedly ran over Anderson’s legs as he backed out of the parking space. Wallace left the area, but the following day, September 3, 2016, he turned himself in to the Fort Wayne Police Department. Initially, he was arrested on preliminary charges of aggravated battery, but as the investigation progressed and the victim's death was confirmed as a homicide, the charges were upgraded. Prosecutors formally charged Wallace with murder, using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and voluntary manslaughter.
Legal proceedings against Wallace moved forward over the following months. He was originally scheduled to face a jury trial in early February 2017. However, just days before the trial was set to begin, Wallace chose to change his plea. On February 3, 2017, he appeared in court and pleaded guilty to the charge of murder in connection with Anderson’s death. As part of the plea agreement or proceedings, the court cancelled the jury trial and scheduled his sentencing hearing for March 3, 2017, bringing a conclusion to the legal determination of his guilt in the fatal shooting.
