Left inset: Jamal Baker (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Ne’Jha Cox (RW Andrews Mortuary). Background: Police at the scene of Ne’Jha Cox’s shooting death in Atlanta, Ga., on May 18, 2024 (Atlanta News First).
In Georgia, a woman on her way to a store with her partner and 2-year-old child was tragically shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity. Prosecutors state that a group of local gang members allegedly confused the vehicle she was in with that of a rival gang.
Ne’Jha Cox’s young son, who remained unscathed, had to witness his 21-year-old mother’s tragic end as she succumbed to her injuries on the scene. The information comes from Atlanta Police and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, who recently announced the conviction of the shooter, 24-year-old Jamal Baker. This announcement comes nearly a year after his arrest connected to the fatal shooting on the 1400 block of Hollywood Road in 2024.
“The child was there the whole time, and he was able to observe his mother bleed out until she was no longer alive,” said Amanda Green, assistant district attorney for the DA’s gang unit, in an interview with local ABC affiliate WSB.
“She has absolutely nothing to do with gang violence or gang life,” District Attorney Fani Willis told the outlet. “She’s not a criminal.”
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
Baker, who was 23 at the time, was with two other individuals during the shooting and was caught on surveillance video opening fire on Cox’s vehicle. He was convicted by a jury of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and second-degree cruelty to children, and sentenced to life without parole plus 65 years.
“When that vehicle passes … it is shot up and we have 39 casings,” Green said, noting the number of times Baker and his alleged cohorts fired at Cox. “It’s no joke when a 2-year-old watches their 21-year-old mother die,” Willis added.
A second suspect, Cartez Harvey, who was 19 at the time, was arrested last year and also charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and second-degree cruelty to children. A third defendant was also apprehended and charged; he and Harvey go on trial later this month.
