Two men are behind bars and a third is still on the run after a Jan. 25 shooting on the 700 block of N. Brookfield Street that left 48-year-old Jiffery Jones dead, South Bend police announced April 17. The South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit says murder charges have been filed in the case and detectives are still chasing tips as they work to track down the last suspect. Neighbors and loved ones held a vigil after the killing and have been pressing for answers while investigators worked the case.
Police Identify Suspects, One Still Sought
In a Facebook post, the South Bend Police Department said prosecutors filed murder charges on April 17 against 26-year-old Daishawn Rowan, 29-year-old Chavez Norwood and 32-year-old Tyree Bonds. According to the department, Norwood and Bonds are in custody, while Rowan remains wanted and is believed to be armed and dangerous in the Chicago area. Investigators say they developed their leads from surveillance video and witness accounts.
How the Investigation Unfolded
Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the early morning hours of Jan. 25 and found Jones with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to WNDU. The case was quickly turned over to the department’s Violent Crimes Unit, and detectives went door to door, gathering video from nearby properties and speaking with residents.
Video Evidence and Court Documents
Court filings and a probable cause affidavit reviewed by ABC57 state that surveillance footage shows three men getting out of a silver sedan and walking toward Jones, and that one of the men opens fire as Jones tries to run. The affidavit says Bonds admitted to driving the sedan and named others who were involved, information that prosecutors then used to support the murder charges.
How To Report Tips And What Happens Next
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP or through the online tip portal referenced in the department’s post. The South Bend Police Department notes that anonymous tips that lead to arrests may qualify for a cash reward. Meanwhile, prosecutors in St. Joseph County are reviewing the evidence as detectives prepare the cases for arraignment and further court hearings.
Tyree Bonds was previously arrested and charged in late March, according to local reporting, and investigators say follow-up work led to the arrest of a second suspect. In the weeks after the killing, family and friends gathered at a vigil for Jones, remembering him as “a community family guy” and urging residents to work with detectives, WNDU reported. As in all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
