A West Baton Rouge Parish Jury has found Jarrettin R. Jackson, II guilty of manslaughter in a shooting at a Port Allen High School football game on September 1, 2023, during halftime. He fired numerous shots from an automatic weapon, killing Ja’Kobe Queen with two gunshot wounds to his head and neck.
Jackson, 19, of 1033 Morning Glory, Port Allen, was also found guilty of aggravated battery of Brasia Davis, who sustained a gunshot wound to her right arm in the shooting. Other guilty verdicts against Jackson included possession of a machine gun, carrying a firearm on school property, and obstruction of justice.
The shooting occurred during halftime of the Port Allen vs. Brusly High School football game. Video recorded by local media during their coverage of the game provided vital evidence utilized by West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s detectives in identifying Jackson as the shooter. The cameras spanning the area recorded the shooting, the deceased lying on the sidewalk and spectators fleeing the area.
Jackson is seen on camera in the area of the shooting minutes before the shots were fired and again running from behind a parked vehicle moments after. The firearm utilized in the shooting was located by the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s under the vehicle where Jackson was seen crouched and running from shortly after the shooting and just before he fled the area. Jackson later used another spectator’s phone to call his uncle and grandmother, requesting they come to the school to pick him up.
Cellphone video by an anonymous witness that was provided to law enforcement captures the moment Jackson fired the shots killing Ja’Kobe Queen. Jackson was further identified as the shooter through this evidence by law enforcement, and his identity was confirmed by a Port Allen High School student who witnessed the incident.
The eyewitness indicated a fight broke out between two individuals, Zakiylan Williams and Jaylin Smith. As a couple punches were thrown, Jackson, who was at the game with Smith and was wearing a bandage on his left hand, retrieved a firearm, took a shooters stance and fired the automatic weapon killing Ja’kobe Queen and injuring Ms. Davis.
It was later confirmed Jackson had a broken left hand and had surgery earlier that day. The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab confirmed through forensic testing that the firearm, magazine and cartridges all contained Jackson’s DNA. Through microscopic comparisons and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, the firearm was also linked to two earlier shootings in Baton Rouge.
“This was a horrifying, unnecessary killing of a young man, and wounding of an innocent bystander. The fact that it was in a crowd at a high school football game makes it even more appalling.” said District Attorney Tony Clayton. “We have a message for these wanna be gang members: We will track you down, we will prosecute and we will pursue the harshest sentence allowed. We will not tolerate this in our communities.”
“I commend the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office on its excellent investigation into this case, and our Assistant District Attorneys Chad Aguillard, Lonny Guidroz, Kristen Canezaro, and Ali Meronek for presenting a strong case to the jury,” DA Clayton added.
District Judge Tonya Lurry, who presided over the case, has set sentencing for August 6.