Darne Jackson

Darne Willie James Jackson was an 18-year-old male described by his family as courageous, funny, and full of big dreams for his future. The humor in his family and a great brother to his seven siblings, Darne had plans to go to boot camp, marry his girlfriend, and one day have children of his own. He found a sense of peace and a new path at a local ranch, Heart of the Horse, where he received equestrian therapy. He became what the owner called a "fearless" and "natural" horseman, eventually working at the ranch and teaching other children how to ride.

On the evening of Tuesday, February 1, 2022, Darne was with two female companions in the parking garage of the Park Place Mall in Tucson, Arizona. At around 6:20 p.m., near the Dillard’s department store at 5890 E. Broadway Boulevard, the group met with 23-year-old Rico Evi Ramon. A verbal argument between Darne and Ramon began, which soon escalated into a physical fight. The confrontation ended when Ramon shot Darne.

When Tucson police officers arrived at the scene, they found Darne with life-threatening gunshot trauma. The suspect, Ramon, had already fled. Emergency responders rushed Darne to St. Joseph's Hospital for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving.

The day after the shooting, on Wednesday, February 2, Rico Evi Ramon turned himself in to police at the East Side Substation. He was arrested and booked into the Pima County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder.

At Darne's funeral service, his mother, Anne Marie Varela, told mourners, "The cruel way in which he died is not a reflection of how he lived." To honor his memory and the positive impact the ranch had on his life, a scholarship called 'Ride like Darne' was established to provide free equestrian therapy to other at-risk youth. As of February 2022, the case against Rico Evi Ramon was proceeding through the court system.