Charges dismissed in connection to death of mother of Young Thug's child
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Charges against two individuals accused of killing the 31-year-old mother of rapper Young Thug's child outside an Atlanta bowling alley in 2022 have been dismissed.
Lakevia Jackson, who shared a 14-year-old son with Jeffery Williams (Young Thug's real name), died of a gunshot wound after being shot in the parking lot of Metro Fun Center on Metropolitan Parkway on March 17, 2022. The shooting followed an argument inside the bowling facility over a bowling ball.
Imani Spears and Joshua Fleetwood were arrested for the death of Lakevia Jackson.
According to court documents, the charges against Spears and Fleetwood were dismissed in November by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly E. Esmond Adams after they filed a motion claiming immunity, stating they were "legally justified" in the shooting.
Adams ruled in their favor based on witness testimony, photographic evidence, and video evidence showing Jackson was the first person to fire a weapon. Jackson reportedly fired into the air first and then fired at the defendants who were running towards their vehicle.
Adams wrote that Fleetwood never showed his gun or physically threatened Jackson before she shot at him. Adams also wrote that Spears did not fire until Jackson had fired multiple rounds.
The judge also rejected the argument by prosecutors that Fleetwood provoked the shooting by instigating a confrontation as an excuse to harm Jackson. Instead, the judge wrote that Fleetwood "de-escalated the initial verbal altercation" between Spears and a group of women, including Jackson, inside the bowling alley.
The judge ruled that Spears and Fleetwood "established by a preponderance of the evidence that each was acting in self-defense and the defense of others and is, therefore, entitled to immunity from prosecution."
At the time of the shooting, many people in the community said they believed that Jackson was targeted and some sort of gang retaliation as a result of a long-running war between gangs known as "YFN" and "YSL."
Young Thug and some of his associates are currently on trial in Atlanta. Prosecutors allege Williams and his co-defendants are members of the Young Slime Life (YSL) gang. The defense attorneys say that YSL stands for Young Stoner Life and is the name of a record label.
Young Thug is facing 8 criminal charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Williams was also charged with possession of marijuana, possession of codeine, possession of cocaine, and possession of firearms.
Young Thug's trial is livestreamed on FOX5Atlanta's YouTube channel.