Dubuque police officers responded to the area of West Locust and Foye Streets near a Dollar General store around 10 p.m. on Monday March 9, 2026 after reports of a shooting in this residential neighborhood on the west side of the city. Upon arrival they located 16-year-old Jakory McMillian suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Officers provided immediate medical aid until Dubuque Fire Department paramedics transported him to UnityPoint Finley Hospital where he was pronounced deceased despite life support efforts. The incident occurred while Jakory was walking his girlfriend home along the street prompting an active homicide investigation by the Dubuque Police Department with no other victims reported from the gunfire that unfolded in the quiet block.
The confrontation began when an argument erupted among several teens outside the Dollar General involving cruel taunts directed at Jakory about his mother who had passed away from asthma complications six years earlier. Witnesses described how shouting quickly escalated into violence as one teen pulled a handgun chased Jakory after a physical altercation and shot him in the head as he tried to run away. Jakory’s final words were a scream for his mother as his family rushed to the hospital where doctors could not save him leaving his loved ones devastated by the sudden loss in this west side Dubuque neighborhood.
Jakory McMillian was a student at Dubuque Senior High School known for his bright fearless and determined personality that made him a loving brother to his four siblings and a caring partner to his girlfriend. His father Anton Harris described him as my world my friend my best friend we bumped heads all the time he was a good kid while noting the family was proud of his accomplishments and eager to see the man he would become.
Jakory was remembered for his athletic spirit and participation in sports as well as his artistic side that included singing church songs with his grandmother. He brought joy and energy to those around him with a contagious laugh and genuine care that defined his short life in the Dubuque community. His 18 month old little sister continues searching for her big brother knocking on his door and calling for him a heartbreaking reminder of the void left in the family home following the shooting near West Locust and Foye Streets.
An 18-year-old suspect identified as Latrell O. Powell Moore of Dubuque was arrested in Marion, Iowa on Thursday March 12 and charged with first degree murder in Jakory’s death. Court documents indicate the shooting stemmed from the argument and physical fight outside the Dollar General with Powell Moore allegedly pulling a handgun and chasing Jakory before firing the fatal shot. He faces additional related charges as the Dubuque Police Department continues building the case through witness statements and video evidence from the West Locust and Foye Streets area.
The Dubuque community particularly at Dubuque Senior High School and in the west side neighborhoods has rallied in grief with extra counseling services activated for students and staff while family and friends share memories of Jakory’s loving and upbeat nature. A GoFundMe has been established to support funeral expenses and the family’s needs as they cope with the loss including the pain felt by his young sister who still knocks on his door.
The investigation remains active with authorities urging anyone with information from the March 9 incident near the Dollar General to contact Dubuque police detectives as the city mourns a vibrant 16 year old whose life was cut short in this residential area of West Locust and Foye Streets.
