After a legal process that spanned years, a Memphis jury has delivered a guilty verdict in the case of Keylone Jones, convicting him of second-degree murder for a crime he committed at the age of 17. The shooting, which took place on October 9, 2018, claimed the life of Michael Hawkins, as Action News 5 reported.
Jones, now 23, was initially handled as a juvenile upon his arrest the day following the fatal incident. However, his case was moved to the adult criminal justice system, where he faced the full weight of the law. According to WREG, he was identified by the moniker “Nu Nu” and brought into custody shortly after the shooting occurred.
The initial police response was to an aggravated assault call at 542 Jacklyn Avenue. Memphis Police found Hawkins suffering from multiple gunshot wounds upon arrival. He was subsequently transported to Regional One Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. These details of the incident surfaced in reports from FOX13 Memphis, highlighting the tragic end of Hawkins' life.
In a statement obtained by Fox13 Memphis, Jones admitted to planning and taking part in the shooting with two other juveniles. They approached Hawkins and "fired multiple shots," as a form of retaliation against a man who had previously shot at Jones. The motive, as confessed by Jones, was to settle a score with an individual he believed to had targeted him in the past. Even as justice has now been rendered, the case underscores the cycle of violence often witnessed in communities grappling with the consequences of youthful indiscretions that escalate into adulthood tragedies.
