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Jullian Jones, a 22-year-old mother of four, was shot and killed on August 19, 2011, in Atlanta. Former NBA player Javaris Crittenton was accused of her murder, though police said she wasn’t the intended target. The shooting was believed to be revenge for a robbery Crittenton experienced earlier that year. The case highlighted the serious impact of gun and retaliatory violence in cities.
Jones was walking with others on Atlanta's southwest side when she was shot by an individual in a dark-colored sport utility vehicle. Detectives rapidly named Crittenton the main suspect and issued an arrest warrant.
Crittenton was thought to have been in the Los Angeles area at the time, and the FBI became involved in the search for him. The shooting stunned the local community and brought questions about how the untimely death of Jones could have occurred.
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The case of the murder of Jullian Jones by the former NBA star Javaris Crittenton is featured in the Netflix documentary Untold: Shooting Guards. It aired on May 6, 2025.
Five important facts about the murder of Jullian Jones
1) The shooting incident
As reported by ESPN, Jullian Jones was shot on Aug. 19, 2011, as he was walking with a group on the southwest side of Atlanta, according to the Atlanta police. The attacker shot from a dark-colored SUV. Jones was not the target, authorities said, but rather the victim of a retaliatory attack for an April robbery in which Javaris Crittenton was allegedly victimized.
2) The victim was an innocent bystander
Jullian Jones was 22 years old when she died and was the mother of four children, as reported by ESPN. She was accompanied by friends and family when she was shot.
Police highlighted the fact that Jones was an innocent bystander and was in the crossfire, and the targeted person was somebody else within her group. The death of her daughter caused shock to her family and community locally.
3) The NBA star was the prime suspect
Former NBA star and Georgia Tech star Javaris Crittenton was charged with Jones' murder, as reported by ESPN. Crittenton had already gained media attention for a gun incident in the Washington Wizards' locker room.
Following the shooting, police obtained an arrest warrant and assumed he had escaped to the Los Angeles region. The FBI participated in the search to find and arrest him.
4) The motive and investigation
As reported by ESPN, detectives concluded that the shooting was probably retaliatory. Crittenton had allegedly been robbed in April 2011. Police suspected the August shooting was an effort to retaliate against those he believed were behind it, but Jullian Jones was accidentally shot instead. The authorities did not think she was the target, which illustrates the risks of retaliatory violence.
5) Legal Proceedings and Aftermath
After the shooting, Crittenton was charged with murder, according to ESPN. The case generated extensive media coverage because of Crittenton's former fame as a professional basketball player.
Police continued to look for him after an arrest warrant was issued, and the FBI joined the investigation. The tragedy highlighted the dangers of gun violence and the long-term devastating effects on innocent families.
The killing of Jullian Jones was a case of a life lost to retaliatory violence. Jones, a young mother, was shot and killed while walking with friends, caught in the crossfire of a targeted shooting. Former NBA player Javaris Crittenton was indicted for her murder, with authorities pointing to a prior robbery as the motive behind the shooting.
