James C. Gray Jr., known to his loved ones as "JJ," was a 16-year-old Black male from Kokomo, Indiana. Described as a loving, caring, and incredibly intelligent young man, he was deeply devoted to his friends and family. His sudden death left behind his devastated parents, grandparents, and three siblings.
On the evening of January 2, 2020, James's life was cut short by gun violence. According to investigators, James had arranged to meet two individuals on the northwest side of Kokomo for a marijuana transaction. He asked his sister and her boyfriend to drive him, and they went to the location in a white Dodge Dart. An altercation broke out before any deal could take place, resulting in James being shot once in the left chest and clavicle area.
While the two individuals fled the scene, James's sister rushed him to St. Vincent Hospital. Police were called to the hospital just before 11 p.m., but James died from his gunshot wound shortly after he arrived.
The Howard County Coroner's Office later confirmed his identity. During the investigation, police found what appeared to be blood in the vehicle where James had been sitting and located a spent .9mm shell casing in the back seat.
The investigation quickly led to two suspects. A 15-year-old boy from Kokomo was arrested on a charge of robbery in connection with the incident and was taken to a youth center. Nearly three weeks later, on January 21, 2020, authorities arrested 18-year-old Jeremiah Neal of Cahokia, Illinois. Neal was subsequently charged with murder and robbery for his alleged role in James's death.
Jeremiah Neal remained incarcerated from the time of his arrest. When his case went to trial, his defense attorney argued that the prosecution lacked physical evidence linking him to the scene, despite testimony from witnesses that included the other juvenile arrested in the case. After about 30 minutes of deliberation, a jury found Jeremiah Neal not guilty on all charges.
Following the acquittal, the homicide of James Gray Jr. remains unsolved. His death was the second time in three weeks that a teenager in Kokomo had died from gun violence, prompting community leaders to call for an end to the violence. Anyone with information is asked to contact Kokomo Police Detective Scott Purtee at 765-456-7322, the Kokomo Police Department Hotline at 765-456-7017, or Central Indiana Crime Stoppers at 1-800-262-TIPS.
