Jarrell Lamont Jackson charged in shooting of Washington National Guard member

Jarrell Lamont Jackson faces multiple firearm charges in Washington after a street fight led to gunfire. The incident left a service member and the suspect wounded on a city sidewalk.

Jackson is 41 years old. He is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. He also faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon. Court filings include possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Jackson is accused of shooting Georgia National Guard member Karon Jones in the leg. Jones is 20 years old. Guard members tried to break up the fight Sunday. Three members returned fire. Jackson was wounded during the exchange.

Neither man sustained life-threatening injuries. The gunfire erupted at about 11:10 p.m. Seven or eight troops were monitoring the fight from a parked van. The event took place in southeast Washington in the Eastern Market neighborhood, interim police chief Jeffery Carroll said.

“This brazen attack on the National Guard by a repeat violent offender firing into a crowded corridor is exactly the kind of lawlessness our city refuses to tolerate,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.

President Donald Trump sent the force to Washington in August 2025. He called the mobilization a crime-fighting mission. The force reached a peak of about 5,000 troops. Members have patrolled streets, supported arrest operations, and cleaned up neighborhoods.

The Republican administration says the mission lowered crime rates. Crime was declining before the troops arrived. Local leaders called the action a waste of taxpayer money. Activists said the presence normalizes the militarization of the city.

Washington officials filed a lawsuit challenging the deployment in September 2025. They argued the mobilization is an illegal use of the military. A federal appeals court panel heard arguments on Oct. 14. A lower court earlier ruled for the city.

More than 2,900 troops remain stationed across the district. A legal challenge moves through the courts when parties contest the authority of an executive action. Federal judges then review whether the deployment complies with statutory limits on military policing.

Georgia provides over 500 members to the ongoing mission. That is the second largest contingent. The District of Columbia had 656 members in Joint Task Force-District of Columbia as of Tuesday.