John Jackson

Do you know who murdered John Jackson?
John Jackson was a 26-year-old African-American man looking forward to a bright future. He had recently proposed to Clareca Brandon, a woman he had known since middle school, and was scheduled to start a new job at the Department of Public Works. Raised by his aunt Shirley Boyd, who considered him her son, John was deeply involved in his community at Grace Memorial Baptist Church in Southeast Washington, D.C. He served as an usher, sang in the junior choir, and was a member of the missionary circle that visited sick and homebound church members.

On the night of Thursday, July 6, 2006, John spent time at his family’s home in the 1400 block of 18th Place SE. Around 11 p.m., he chatted with his parents before heading out for the evening. He kissed his mother, told her he loved her, and walked out the door to join friends in the courtyard across the street. It was the last time she would see him alive.

Shortly after 2 a.m. on Friday, July 7, Shirley Boyd was startled from her sleep by a series of rapid pops that she first mistook for firecrackers. The sounds were, in fact, a hail of gunfire. In the courtyard of an apartment building in the 1800 block of P Street, SE, John had been shot numerous times. His mother’s next sight of her son was of him being carried away on a stretcher. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Metropolitan Police Department investigated the killing of John Jackson. However, no arrests have ever been made in connection with his death, and no suspects have been publicly identified. As of July 2006, the case remains unsolved. The police continue to seek the public’s assistance for any information regarding the incident.