Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Police arrested a man after they said he fired a handgun during a large-scale fight in Jonesboro that was sparked by a group text dispute.

District Judge David Boling found probable cause July 22 to charge 19-year-old Justin J’quawn Burrell with the following offenses:

  • Aggravated riot (Class D felony)
  • Contributing to the delinquency of a minor (Class A misdemeanor)
  • Discharging firearms within city limits (Unclassified)

According to the probable cause affidavit, on June 10, Jonesboro police officers were dispatched to a fight involving weapons at Buckwood Drive and Wildwood Point. While en route, officers were advised that multiple gunshots had been heard during the 911 call and that a black SUV was still at the scene.

Upon arrival, officers saw the SUV stopped in the road on Buckwood Drive. Multiple people involved in the fight were seen collecting items left behind on the road. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the SUV and detained several occupants. While doing so, officers noticed that they were sweating heavily and had injuries consistent with having recently been involved in a fight.

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Officers asked where there were any weapons inside the vehicle and were told that a firearm was present. It was found with a round chambered and the magazine missing. Additional officers arrived and searched the surrounding area, where they found the magazine, which contained live ammunition, theorizing it may have been ejected from the handgun during the fight. The subjects were taken to the Jonesboro Police Department once the evidence was collected.

During the investigation, officers learned that 20 to 30 individuals, including juveniles, had been involved in the fight and that gunshots had been fired during the incident. The confrontation stemmed from an ongoing dispute within a group text message, which escalated when participants arranged a fight and shared a location pin to meet on Wildwood Drive.

This is the second brawl of this type in recent months. The previous brawl also stemmed from an ongoing dispute within a group text message, which escalated to a brawl involving 20 individuals.

| READ MORE: Text Message Dispute Leads to Jonesboro Fight, Teen Arrested on Multiple Charges

Video evidence showed one of the involved subjects arriving before the fight and participating. During the fight, the driver was observed firing multiple shots in the air, causing the adults and juveniles to panic and flee the area, and multiple 911 calls were made. The subject then quickly re-entered his vehicle and left before officers arrived.

Using Flock cameras, officers identified the registered owner of the vehicle as Burrell, who was also identified by a witness who observed the incident, confirming he was the one seen firing the handgun. Boling signed an arrest warrant as a result.

Burrell was arrested and booked into the Craighead County Detention Center at 7:38 p.m. on July 21, the roster shows. He is being held on a $50,000 cash/surety bond awaiting his next court appearance scheduled for Sept. 30. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison and fines up to $12,500.

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