A New York man who was convicted then acquitted of a 2015 triple homicide was shot dead Saturday, more than two years after his second trial.
Jalen Everett, 24, was reportedly shot at least once in the torso while in a car parked on the 200 block of Magee Avenue in Maplewood. Police said there are no suspects in custody but they’re aware of witnesses to Saturday’ shooting, according to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
WROC reported that police responding to an unrelated incident nearby heard gunfire and responded to the site of the shooting.
Everett and two other men were prosecuted for a 2015 drive-by shooting outside the Rochester Boys and Girls Club that left three people dead. The suspects were accused of firing into a crowd leaving a basketball game at the facility, fatally wounding victims Jonah Barley, Raekwon Manigault, and Johnny Johnson in the head.
WHEC reported that Everett was initially found guilty of the triple slaying but his conviction was thrown out after a juror was accused of making racist comments. A subsequent trial concluded in January 2017 with his acquittal.
One of the suspects, Johnny Blackshell Jr., was convicted and is serving a life sentence. The third man, Michael Mathis Jr., 21, was also acquitted.
The Democrat & Chronicle noted that Mathis was stabbed in February during an altercation at an Irish pub in Henrietta. Police alleged Mathis and two other men who were stabbed didn’t cooperate with deputies.
Police indicated that they haven’t uncovered a motive and dissuaded the public from trying to avenge Everett in light of his murder
“Retaliation certainly could be a motive but we’re looking at that,” Rochester police Lieutenant Naser Zenelovic said. “There could be a number of reasons that this happened.”
[Featured image: Jalen Everett/WROC video screengrab]
