A Detroit man, Jevonte Cassidy Doakes, was dealt a 110-month federal prison sentence for unleashing a barrage of gunfire into a home where his six-year-old daughter was sleeping. Doakes, a 33-year-old felon, was convicted on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms, which included two machine guns found at his residence and a neighboring flop house, the United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of Michigan announced.
In the shocking incident that took place in May 2024, Doakes fired 24 shots into his ex-girlfriend's home, narrowly missing his own child and jeopardizing other lives as bullets pierced the house where a family lay in repose – an egregious act that has earned him a stretch behind bars. The investigation, which linked the casings from the May 2024 shooting to other violent crimes, led to a comprehensive search and the recovery of seven guns. During a chilling phone call a few hours post-shooting, Doakes reportedly asked his ex-girlfriend, "Bitch, you still alive?" before abruptly ending the call.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, James Deir, the Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Detroit Field Division, underscored the heinous nature of the act, stating, "Javonte DOAKES is one of the most deserving candidates for federal prison. Using an illegal machine gun, he recklessly fired 24 rounds into a home full of sleeping children, one of whom was his daughter. These types of acts of gun violence have consequences."
The arrest of Doakes also swept up an accomplice, Joshua Griggs, 21, who was sentenced to 24 months in prison for receipt of a firearm while under indictment. This case, a product of the partnership between federal and local agencies, highlights a continued effort to address and dismantle the types of violence that threaten community safety. The acting forces included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Detroit Police Department with Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew R. Picek, and Philip Jacques at the helm of the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. commended the alliance, “These are the acts of a crooked man who loves violence and hates innocent life. I am thankful for our strong alliance with our federal and Detroit Police partners. This is how we keep our city safe,” he stated in the U.S. Attorney's Office press release.
