COATESVILLE, PA — Six suspects were arrested on first-degree murder and related charges in the Aug. 23 gunshot slaying of 20-year-old Dametirus McClain-Jackson of Coatesville, a former football standout at Coatesville Area Senior High.
McClain-Jackson was found lying in the middle of Lime Street at the intersection of Madison Avenue with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said. The victim was taken to Paoli Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An investigation disclosed that the shooting was in retaliation for an Instagram post of another shooting involving a rival group.
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McClain-Jackson was killed by one of the six suspects, as he and the six suspects were trying to shoot a rival in Coatesville, according to police.
Coatesville Police Chief Jack Laufer said retaliatory shootings over past disputes or perceived transgressions between individuals or groups, will not be tolerated by the citizens of Coatesville.
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“Those who participate in these crimes will be identified, arrested, and prosecuted,” Laufer said.
These suspects are in Chester County Prison without bail awaiting trial on first-degree murder and related charges:
Police said McClain-Jackson and the six suspects drove around Coatesville in a stolen vehicle searching for a rival and his friends in response to the Instagram post about a prior shooting.
Ultimately, the group arrived in the area of Community Lane, and McClain-Jackson, Rochester-Cottle, White, and Lara-Ortiz exited the vehicle with firearms and approached a property in the 400 block of Community Lane.
The group saw their rivals and began to shoot. White left the scene on foot, while McClain-Jackson, Rochester-Cottle, and Lara-Ortiz returned to the stolen vehicle.
McClain-Jackson then told the others he had been shot.
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District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said this extensive investigation was a team effort between the Coatesville police, county detectives, and the district attorney’s office.
“We will continue to use every resource available to solve violent crime cases and protect everyone in the community,” the district attorney said.
McClain-Jackson was a member of the Lycoming College football team and a volunteer at the Coatesville YWCA. He enjoyed going to the beach in Maryland and working out, according to his obituary.
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