Clarion Ledger reports show that the city of Jackson saw 45 homicides from January 1 to April 30, 2024, with an alarming trend of murders occurring during the month of April.
As of April 2024, there have been 16 reported murders in Jackson. The Jackson Police Department is investigating 15 of the cases, and the Capitol Police are investigating one.
This April number could grow. The case of Dau Mabil’s death was not ruled a homicide, although his brother Bul Mabil alleged foul play. Additionally, on the last night of April, a man was pulled from the Pearl River. No announcement regarding the cause of death has been determined. The April figure also does not include deaths outside of Jackson in Hinds County, such as the nightclub homicide in Utica.
Of the 16 Jackson homicides reported in April, at least 40 percent were the result of interpersonal violence — personal disputes between romantic partners, family members or friends that turn deadly.
Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade told the Clarion Ledger that these situations occur because individuals don’t know how to “handle conflict,” so people resort to using weapons to “solve their problems.”
“This is a lose-lose situation for the victim’s family, the suspect’s family and also for the city of Jackson as a whole,” Wade said.
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On April 7, a firefighter was shot and killed following a domestic dispute inside a South Jackson home in the 200 block of Ferguson Drive.
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On April 9th, a registered nurse was killed by a former Jackson police officer, who was also an ex-partner, at an apartment complex off Parkway Drive, near Old Canton Road.
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On April 22, a woman died in a hospital after being struck several times by a vehicle in a suspected domestic dispute.
Wade told the Clarion Ledger that the department takes these incidents “very seriously” and is actively working to hold “perpetrators” accountable for any crimes committed.
“We are starting a ‘Community Conflict Resolution Training’ that will be held at the Jackson Police Training Academy starting next week. We’re still planning what that will look like, but it’s our strategy to try to help families navigate conflict where it doesn’t have to end with the loss of someone’s life. This is for adults and this is for youth,” Wade said.
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Here are the Jackson murders by month in 2024. All were investigated by the JPD:
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In January, there was 12 murders.
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In February, four murders occurred.
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In March, 13 murders occurred.
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In April, there were 16 murders at the time of publication.
This article originally appeared in the Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Homicide totals in Jackson, MS in April 2024
