Jerome Blakely

Jerome Oneil Blakely, a 31-year-old African-American man, was known by friends as a good-hearted and funny person who mostly kept to himself. He lived with his mother in an apartment in east Charlotte, North Carolina, and friends remembered him as someone who liked to joke and laugh. One acquaintance recalled sharing a laugh and a hug with him the night before he died, never imagining it would be their last encounter. Friends said he was one of the first people they met when moving to Charlotte, a testament to his welcoming nature.

The afternoon of November 12, 2015, turned tragic for Jerome and his community. Just before 5 p.m., he was outside his home at the McAden Park Apartments in the 1300 block of Seigle Avenue, reportedly smoking a cigarette, when multiple gunshots rang out. Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Eastway Division responded to a 911 call for an assault with a deadly weapon at 4:48 p.m. They arrived to find Jerome on the ground near an entryway, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. One neighbor heard the shots and ran to alert Jerome's mother, who was inside their apartment.

Paramedics rushed Jerome toward Carolinas Medical Center, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead while en route to the hospital. The shooting sent a wave of fear through the neighborhood. One stray bullet pierced the wall of a neighboring apartment, entering the bedroom where a four-year-old girl and her friend were playing. Thankfully, the children were not physically harmed. Neighbors described Jerome as a "quiet, cool guy" who "didn't bother anybody," leaving them shaken and struggling to understand the violence that had erupted in their community.

Jerome’s death marked the 56th homicide in the city of Charlotte that year, a statistic that came just days after the police chief had requested more resources to combat a spike in violent crime. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department began an investigation into the killing. In the immediate aftermath, police stated they had a suspect but did not release further details. A close friend of Jerome's, Kelby Lake, stood by the crime scene tape after investigators left, expressing his shock and grief for his friend and his friend's son.

A funeral service for Jerome was held on Saturday, November 21, 2015, at Grier Memorial Chapel, with a visitation for family and friends preceding it. In the years since, his friends and family have been left with memories of a kind person taken too soon and a search for justice that remains unfulfilled.

As of late 2023, the investigation into Jerome Blakely's murder is ongoing, and no arrests have been publicly announced. The case remains unsolved, a painful open wound for his loved ones and the community. Authorities continue to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's homicide tip line at 704-432-TIPS.