DES MOINES, IA - Authorities out of Iowa say a 50-year-old man who was released from jail earlier in May took his own life and the life of his ex-girlfriend hours after bonding out of jail on harassment charges.
Des Moines Police are describing a fatal shooting that occurred on May 8th within the 800 block of Tuttle Street as a domestic violence incident. According to authorities, 50-year-old Abdul Jabbar Jackson had bonded out of jail on the day of the incident after being arrested on May 6 on harassment charges, going to the home of 40-year-old Jessica Henderson, where he fatally shot her and her dog before turning the weapon on himself.
A third, unnamed victim who was reportedly a friend of Henderson, was also reportedly fired upon by Jackson before he took his own life.
Henderson had contacted police on April 27 to report that Jackson had threatened to shoot her. One day after Henderson reported the alleged threats, she reportedly located a GPS tracking device on her vehicle, which she handed off to Des Moines Police detectives handling her case.
Police caught up with Jackson on May 6 and booked him into the Polk County Jail on two counts of first-degree harassment in connection with the alleged threats against Henderson, but the now-deceased suspect was able to bond out two days later to seemingly follow through on his alleged threats.
Des Moines Police issued a statement shared by Henderson’s family in the wake of her passing, highlighting that the incident should serve as a signal that domestic violence cases must be treated seriously on all levels from the community and criminal justice system.
“As we honor Jessica’s memory, we also urge our community to continue advocating for victims, taking warning signs seriously, strengthening coordinated system responses, and ensuring survivors have access to support and resources without judgment,” the statement reads in part.
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