Wilmington gang member sentenced to 15 years in prison

WILMINGTON — A 24-year-old Wilmington man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charge was filed after the local resident fired a shotgun near a school, prompting a chase.

“This Crip gang member was a lone gunman who shot up a Wilmington charter school while wearing shorts and led police on a chase at over 118 miles per hour,” U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said in a press release Monday. “The new bipartisan Safer Communities Act is designed for cases like this and has earned this felon 15 years in federal prison. We are using the new law to pursue violent gangs and shooters across North Carolina, especially those who endanger our children. Our law enforcement efforts help ensure children can start the school year full of energy, not just dodging bullets.”

According to court documents, Jahmez Tavaughn Jackson shot another person multiple times at the intersection of 6th and Campbell streets around noon on Feb. 22. The shooting occurred just 200 feet from Roger Bacon Douglas Academy, a charter school for grades K-5. No one was injured, but children were nearby.

Officers identified Jackson in Pender County and pursued him at speeds up to 120 mph before Jackson crashed the vehicle into a median. Police found oxycodone, marijuana and photographic evidence of Jackson's involvement in drug trafficking in his phone, as well as pictures of him posing with the vehicle used in the crime.

Jackson was wearing an ankle monitor at the time of his arrest. His previous offenses include assault with a deadly weapon and attempted kidnapping.

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