On the morning of October 14, 1994, three-year-old Robert E. Jones was among five people killed in an apartment at the Gilpin Court public housing complex in Richmond, Virginia. The attack occurred when 20-year-old Christopher C. Goins entered the home of his 14-year-old girlfriend, Tamika Jones, who was seven months pregnant, and opened fire. Robert’s mother Daphne Jones, 29; his four-year-old brother David H. Jones; his nine-year-old sister Nicole E. Jones; and Tamika’s father James Nathaniel Randolph Jr., 35, were also killed. The children were shot in their pajamas and one was killed in a crib. Tamika Jones survived despite being shot nine times, but her unborn child did not survive. Tamika called 911 and identified Goins as the assailant.

A month after the killings, Goins was apprehended in Brooklyn, New York, and returned to Richmond to face charges. During the trial Tamika Jones testified against him. The case left the community reeling and remains a stark account of family destruction and lost young lives. If anyone knew Robert or his family, or has information about that morning, please share what can help preserve their memory.