A Nevada jury has convicted a Las Vegas convenience store clerk of second-degree murder in connection with a deadly shooting.
Earlier this week, jurors found 37-year-old R.J. guilty of fatally shooting a suspected shoplifter outside a 7-Eleven in June 2023.
“Outnumbered by Armed Individuals”
The confrontation that led to the killing reportedly started in the store over something as minor as a salad. Court records show the victim, M.A., was allegedly trying to shoplift the item.
At the time of the incident, according to the authorities, the woman was holding several items in her hand and carrying a pre-made salad in her purse.
J. told investigators that he asked the woman to put the items that she was holding down, and chased her outside the store after she did.
As explained by Deputy District Attorney Kayla Farzaneh-Simmons, 7-Eleven’s policy does not allow for shoplifters to be pursued.
Once they reached the parking lot, J. attempted to grab the shoplifter’s purse. At that time, one of the victim’s friends flashed a gun at the store clerk, who said he felt threatened and “outnumbered” by individuals in A.’s group armed with knives and a gun.
However, J. managed to retrieve the salad, which he then threw across the parking lot. A. then decided to go back into the store.
When she finally left the premises, accompanied by her friends, J. escalated the situation by following them near Sahara Avenue and Joe W. Brown Drive. There, he fired twice into A.’s back. Both shots struck her spinal cord, proving fatal.
Police Found the Firearm
Evidence presented during the trial linked Jefferson to the shooting. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, detectives recovered a firearm from the roof of the store. The weapon carried J.’s DNA and matched the caliber of bullets used in the killing.Jurors sided with the prosecution, convicting Jefferson of second-degree murder after deliberations. His sentencing has been set for October 30, where he faces the possibility of decades in prison.