Teen accused in 2022 fatal drive-by of 7-yearold child scheduled for preliminary exam
Will the case against the co-defendant in a drive-by shooting that left a little girl dead in Pontiac be advanced to circuit court for trial?
That’s what 50th District Judge Cynthia Walker will decide after weighing evidence presented during a preliminary exam, scheduled for June 17, for the case against 19-year-old JaJuan McDonald.
McDonald is charged with 10 crimes including first-degree murder and assault with intent to murder in connection with the March 18, 2022 fatal shooting of Ariah Jackson, 7, outside her home in Pontiac. Ariah’s mother, Lashawn Jackson, was also hit by the gunfire and survived.
Just prior to the shooting, according to investigators, Lashawn Jackson had returned home after picking up Ariah and three other children from a school bus stop. A car had followed them, and one person in the car opened fire on Jackson’s car while it was in the driveway. Ariah was shot in the head and pronounced dead at an area hospital. Her mother suffered a grazing wound to the head.
A second man, Justin Rouser, 21, is the accused shooter and faces the same 10 charges. His case was bound over to the higher court in February following his preliminary exam. Recently, a judge ordered a competency evaluation for Rouser. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 28.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, McDonald and Rouser are members of “4-Block,” described as a violent street gang. Investigators say they’ve found no evidence that McDonald or Rouser knew Ariah or her family.
McDonald has another case making its way through circuit court for an assault with intent to murder charge from 2021. Trial for that case is scheduled for July.