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Jan. 03, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

CHILD KILLED: Brother shot girl in the chest

7-year-old thought his father's handgun was a BB gun

By MAGGIE LILLIS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Jevell Jackson
Convicted ex-felon, prohibited from owning a firearm, was arrested

The gunshot that killed a 6-year-old Las Vegas girl Wednesday night was fired by her 7-year-old brother, who told police he found the gun in a bedroom closet and thought it was a BB gun.

The girl, who was identified by the Clark County coroner's office Friday as Jorden Jackson, died of a gunshot wound to the chest in what has been ruled an accident.

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    • The handgun had been in the home for three weeks and was purchased by the children's father, Jevell Jackson, a convicted ex-felon who was prohibited from owning a firearm, according to an arrest report released Friday by the Metropolitan Police Department.

    The 37-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on charges of ex-felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of child endangerment and felony child endangerment with substantial bodily harm.

    According to the arrest report, the man's criminal history included a 1997 drug possession for sale charge and a first ex-felon in possession of a firearm offense five years ago. Both convictions were from an undisclosed jurisdiction in California.

    As of Friday afternoon, Jackson remained at the Clark County Detention Center on $19,000 bail and refused all requests to be interviewed by the media.

    Authorities responded to a 7:50 p.m. call Wednesday of an accidental shooting at the family's home near Warm Springs Road and Rainbow Boulevard, in the southwest valley.

    The girl's 7-year-old brother told police he was looking for stuffed animals in a downstairs bedroom closet where he found a handgun on an upper shelf. The boy said he grabbed the gun and accidentally shot his sister.

    Jackson told police he heard a single gunshot and discovered the 6-year-old bleeding. Jorden later died at Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center of the wound to the upper chest.

    Jackson told police he threw the gun over the back wall of his yard after the shooting. Police later recovered the weapon. Jackson said he purchased it three weeks before "on Las Vegas Boulevard for $150" to protect his family.

    The boy told police that he thought the gun was a BB gun his father owned at their former home.

    The boy and a 16-month-old sibling were placed in protective custody by Clark County Child Protective Services pending further investigation. Officials at the agency wouldn't reveal if or when the children would be returned to their mother, who was present at the time of the shooting.

    Jorden attended Alamo Elementary School. Representatives for the school could not be reached for comment Friday.

    Jackson is set to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court at 7:30 a.m. Monday.

    Contact reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.

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    Perplexed wrote on January 04, 2009 01:36 PM: I am stumped. Can someone explain how a person who is not supposed to be able to purchase a firearm do so? I thought we had laws to prevent this? Sorry, just removed my naive hat. I think law enforcement needs to be prodded (given the necessary resources) to find out how this person got this weapon and then come down hard. It angers me as a gun owner who jumps through every hoop to lawfully own/posses a weapon to read stories like this.


    dr.death wrote on January 03, 2009 11:35 PM: Concerned citizens - I say we start a defense fund for Mr. Jackson. A poor ex-felon who had the insight to buy a gun to protect his family from law abiding citizens like you and me. After the shooting, he uses his smarts and throws the gun over the fence. It won't be long when ex-felons will have their right to bear arms back. I mean they get all their other "rights" back from liberals. Thug 101: shoot; throw evidence away; blame everyone but yourself.


    to casinocon wrote on January 03, 2009 08:28 PM: An average suburban family home "IS NOT" filled with ex cons illegally possessing handguns (AS YOU STATED).

    I do feel very bad for the rest of the family but I'm sure they were well aware of the weapon in the home so they must live with this incident for the rest of their days.


    casinocon wrote on January 03, 2009 07:08 PM: Throughout my childhood my siblings tried to kill me numerous ways -- rocks, bow and arrows, daredevil bicycle stunts, butter knives, bricks, poisonous concoctions -- it is amazing we all survived. Never a gun in the house . . . so I definitely dodged a bullet there. I don't mean to make light of this at all, but it was a tragic accident. The father will get what is coming to him, and I'm sure he is completely devastated. I just hope the mother and son, and eventually the father can somehow find the strength to rebuild their lives some how . . . so sad. By all appearances they probably seemed like the average suburban family until this tragedy.


    Mad American wrote on January 03, 2009 03:16 PM: Threw it (gun) over the fence??? Geez, what a brain surgeon. Some other child could have picked it up and killed themselves or someone else.


    William wrote on January 03, 2009 02:40 PM: "Jackson said he purchased it three weeks before "on Las Vegas Boulevard for $150" to protect his family."

    PROTECT HIS FAMILY ???

    Is this a joke?
    Was his family protected?
    I don't think so.

    This was murder and daddy Jevell Jackson is the murderer.

    Whether society will ever agree on gun possesion is moot.

    Incarcerating trash like Jevell for life behind bars is imperative for families to be protected.

    I hope my family and Jevell's family is protected from him for the rest of his life.



    ak wrote on January 03, 2009 02:06 PM: This just goes to show the irresponsibility of most gun owners and why gun control enforcement is a must in this country.


    Herb wrote on January 03, 2009 10:45 AM: I don't care if he's only 7, that it was an accident, or if he thought it was a bb gun. This boy is guilty of murder or manslaughter. He must do some hard time behind bars.


    YO YO YO wrote on January 03, 2009 09:42 AM: Don't worry, Hussein Obama will give him a pardon.


    I've told you before, wrote on January 03, 2009 09:34 AM: You need to seal the border with California.


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