Charges have been dropped against two individuals previously accused of fatally shooting Lakevia Jackson, the mother of rapper Young Thug's child, in Atlanta in 2022. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly E. Esmond Adams dismissed the charges against the accused, Imani Spears and Joshua Fleetwood, ruling that Jackson was the first to fire a weapon during the March 17 incident outside the Metro Fun Center.
Following an argument that started over a bowling ball inside the facility, 31-year-old Jackson was shot in the center's parking lot. The judge based her decision of dismissal on evidence that included witness testimony, surveillance footage, and photographic evidence. It was determined that Jackson "fired into the air first and then at the defendants," who were moving towards their vehicle. In documentation obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, Adams elaborated that Fleetwood never exposed his gun or physically threatened Jackson before she shot at him and that Spears did not fire her weapon until Jackson had already fired multiple rounds.
Community speculation at the time of the shooting suggested gang retatiation might have been a motive, given the ongoing war between gangs identified as "YFN" and "YSL." Some believed that Jackson, who shared a 14-year-old son with Jeffery Williams, better known as Young Thug, was targeted. Meanwhile, Young Thug and his associates face a separate legal battle, with prosecutors claiming they are members of the Young Slime Life gang. However, defense attorneys have countered that YSL stands for Young Stoner Life, representing a record label, not a gang affiliation.
Notably, 11Alive reported a key observation made by Judge Adams, stating that Fleetwood actually "de-escalated the initial verbal altercation" between Spears and a group of women, which included Jackson, inside the bowling alley. This conflicted with prosecution's argument that Fleetwood provoked the shooting by instigating a confrontation. In the judge's conclusion, both Fleetwood and Spears "have established by a preponderance of the evidence that each was acting in self-defense and defense of others and is, therefore, entitled to immunity from prosecution."
Since the ruling, 11Alive has updated earlier coverage of the case, removing mugshots of Spears and Fleetwood as per the station's policy and revising headlines to reflect the recent court outcome. The full ruling detailing the dismissal of all charges can be read via a link provided in their story.
