Great Grandson of Former Mayor Frank Jackson Indicted for Murder

Donald Jackson-Gates, the 19-year-old great grandson of former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, has been indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury for the murder of a 20-year-old in Cleveland's Central neighborhood.

The shooting death occurred in the very early morning of May 14, near East 40th Street and Quincy Avenue. Jackson-Gates approached the victim, 20-year-old Chris'Shon Coleman, and shot him multiple times.

It has previously been reported that investigators believe the shooting to be a retaliatory strike for the murder of Jackson-Gates' uncle, Frank Q. Jackson, the former mayor's grandson. 

Coleman, the victim, is the nephew of Robert Shepard, who allegedly communicated to Frank Q. Jackson where to pick up a dirt bike — the location where he was fatally shot.  (Frank Q. Jackson's shooter remains unknown.)

Cleveland.com's Adam Ferrise reports that all participants in the escalating violence, which stems from the 2019 execution of Antonio Parra in the Stockyards neighborhood, are thought to be members of the No Limit 700 street gang.

Per the county prosecutor, Jackson-Gates was indicted on one count of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, and one count of having weapons under disability. (Jackson-Gates had been previously indicted, in 2020, for felonious assault.) His arraignment date has not yet been set.

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