On the afternoon of January 26, 2026, 23-year-old graduate student Jurnea Stanley was found unresponsive inside a residence at 2405 W. 24th Street in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, after officers were dispatched there just after 2:00 P.M. She had sustained an apparent gunshot wound to her upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Stanley, born in Okinawa, Japan, was a resident of Little Rock and was pursuing a Master of Animal Science at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She worked as a graduate advisor in the School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences and was a recipient of the USDA 1890 National Scholars award. Friends and family remembered her as a vibrant person with ambitions to become a veterinarian.

Twenty-five-year-old Michael Johnson was at the scene and was taken to the detectives office for questioning; he was subsequently arrested and booked on a charge of 2nd Degree Murder. Authorities say the homicide investigation is in its early stages and have not released additional details about the circumstances of the shooting.

If anyone knew Jurnea or has information about what happened at the W. 24th Street residence, please come forward.