On October 13, 2024, at about 11:05 p.m., Arlington police responded to reports of gunfire at an apartment complex in the 2100 block of Wilcrest Drive. Officers found 27-year-old Jarell Tre-Von Thornton slumped inside a 2011 Ford Edge with multiple gunshot wounds; the vehicle, still in drive and riddled with bullet holes, had struck several parked cars before stopping. Thornton was taken to a hospital and later pronounced deceased.

Investigators say Thornton had met three people—21-year-old Armontay Valencia, 20-year-old Keontay Martin, and 21-year-old Jaden Davidson—for a drug transaction at the complex. After the exchange, Martin allegedly drew a firearm and shot Thornton multiple times as Thornton attempted to drive away. Two witnesses later placed Valencia, Martin and Davidson at the scene; one witness reported hearing Martin confess to the killing. Arrest warrants were issued and Valencia, Martin and Davidson were taken into custody in late October and November. Ballistic and digital forensic testing remain ongoing.

If anyone has information about Thornton, the transaction that brought him to Wilcrest Drive, or the shooting that night, please share what is known.