28-year-old Justin Nichols was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder in the first degree, and employment of a firearm in the commission of a felony after being accused of involvement in a drive-by shooting on two juvenile victims that killed 16-year-old Jaylen Smith.
On March 13th, Memphis Police Department officers responded to a shooting on Hillview Road where they discovered 16-year-old Jaylen Smith suffering from a gunshot wound. Memphis Fire Department arrived on scene and transported Jaylen to Methodist University Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. A second juvenile was found with Jaylen but did not sustain any gunshot wounds. Crime Scene Investigators collected a bullet fragment and a shell casing. The surviving victim stated that he and Jaylen were going to “the candy lady” when a male subject pulled up in a white Infiniti and started shooting at them from his vehicle.
Law enforcement located Justin Nichols along with his vehicle and transported him to the Homicide Office. The victim gave a statement and positively identified Justin in a photo line-up. Justin was then Mirandized but waived his right to counsel and agreed to speak with investigators. Justin stated that he was sleeping at home when the incident occurred. The facts were reviewed with prosecutor Alandra Dwyer and the parties were advised of the charges.
Justin Nichols was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder in the first degree, along with employment of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is being held until his arraignment on March 16th.
