BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — A Baltimore County father was found guilty in connection with a 2024 Christmas Eve shooting that left his 4-year-old son dead and two others injured, according to a spokesperson for the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office.
Mark Jones Jr. was convicted of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, child abuse resulting in serious physical injury, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, and child abuse.
According to charging documents, the shooting happened early Christmas Eve morning at an apartment complex on Breslin Court in Rosedale.
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The children's mother, who was also shot, ran to a neighbor's home begging for help.
She told the neighbor she needed police to rescue her children, who had been shot inside a downstairs bedroom apartment.
Baltimore County police officers forced their way into the apartment and found both children lying on a bed bleeding.
One of the victims, 4-year-old Jacobi Jones, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and later died.
The second child victim, Jacobi's 1-year-old sister, was shot in the shoulder.
Police said they found Mark Jones inside the apartment bedroom.
Charging documents state detectives believe Jones shot the children's mother and both children before turning the gun on himself.
The mother told police that Jones lived with the family at the apartment and had spent the previous night sleeping in the children's bedroom while she and the children slept in another room.
According to charging documents, the mother said Jacobi told his father to leave. She said Jones then pulled a gun from a bag and opened fire, striking her and both children.
She was able to escape to a neighbor's apartment, where the neighbor called 911. The neighbor told investigators she heard the mother screaming, "Please don't do it," before gunshots rang out.
Jones' mother told investigators she missed an earlier FaceTime call from her son. When she called back, she said Jones answered with a bloody face and told her, "I couldn't take it anymore."
Court documents show Jones was previously charged in May 2023 with assault involving a firearm. He later pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and received probation before judgment.
