A family is mourning after a 3-year-old was shot and killed in Nashville Monday night.
Thomas L. Winston Jr. is now charged with the fatal shooting of 3-year-old Jamayla Marlowe in the Cumberland View public housing development. Jamayla’s 2-year-old half-sister was also wounded in the crossfire.
The investigation led by Detective Madison Meiss shows that Winston, 23, arrived in the public housing development in a blue Hyundai Elantra as a large group of people had gathered in a parking lot. Winston walked in between two buildings. Shots were then fired from that direction across the parking lot. At least three other persons shot back. Winston retreated to the Hyundai, dropped a bloody pistol on the pavement, and fled the area. Winston then drove himself to General Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was transferred to Vanderbilt Medical Center and was released today.
During an interview this afternoon, Winston admitted to firing his weapon during the incident.
“We wake up in the morning, I’m ready to go to work she says, ‘paw paw, give me a hug, give me kiss, give me blow, give me fist bump’,” Earl Jones, Jamayla’s great grandfather told NC5.
“She got shot in the back and the bullet went to her heart and I just think [is] my baby going to make it. My baby at the hospital in the morgue. That is not right for a 3-year-old to be in the morgue at this age, she was an innocent baby,” Jones said.
“I’m mad as hell. I had this girl since she was born, living here on this property.”
“Bullets do not have eyes and when they land you don’t know where they go when you pull that trigger.”
Winston is charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault for Monday night’s shooting. Winston is also charged with felony aggravated assault and vandalism in an unrelated case.
This investigation is ongoing.
