On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, a Tarrant County jury found 19-year-old Jay Shawn Nixon-Clark guilty of capital murder for the 2022 shooting deaths of two victims in Fort Worth. Nixon-Clark received an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole.
The case, prosecuted by Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys Bill Vassar and Melinda Hogan, stemmed from an August 28, 2022, shooting on Steel Dust Drive in northwest Fort Worth. Nixon-Clark and others parked in the neighborhood and watched a house for over three minutes, where children and teenagers were playing in an open garage.
Nixon-Clark and another individual, both masked and armed, approached the home and fired more than 17 rounds into the garage before fleeing the scene. The attack claimed the lives of 17-year-old Jamarrien Monroe and his 5-year-old cousin, Rayshard Javon Scott. Other family members, including Monroe’s 18-month-old son, were injured.
"They riddled that garage with bullets," Hogan told the jury. "They unloaded 17 rounds into the garage where five children are playing."
Vassar emphasized Nixon-Clark’s intent during the attack: "When he masked up and grabbed a weapon, he knew what he was doing. He was 100 percent down to shoot as many people as he could that day."
Following the sentencing, Jamarrien’s mother, Tijuana West, addressed Nixon-Clark in court. She shared the profound impact of the tragedy on both families and urged him to reflect on his life. "There’s a greatness in you that goes way beyond your circumstances," she said.
A co-defendant, 23-year-old Anthony Bell-Johnson, faces a separate trial on capital murder charges related to the same crime.
The case was supported by DA Investigator Danny Nutt, Victim Coordinators Imelda Lopez and Laura Medina, and the Fort Worth Police Department, whose efforts were praised for their commitment to community safety.
