Guilty: Jurors convict man in double murder of young couple outside Jacksonville ATM
Jurors took just under three hours to convict a Jacksonville man of killing a young boyfriend and girlfriend outside a shopping center ATM nearly two years ago.
Raishion Gist, 22, was found guilty Thursday on two counts each of first-degree murder and armed burglary, court records show. Sentencing is to be set on June 6, but first-degree murder convictions in Florida mandate life in prison unless prosecutors seek the death penalty.
Killed were Jamarion Barnes, 21, and Tyniya Powell, 20. They were shot at 5617 Bowden Road the night of June 20, 2022. Barnes was found lying outside the driver’s door of Toyota Corolla and Powell outside the passenger door, according to the incident report.
Surveillance video from across Bowden Road at 9:18 that night show the last moments before they were shot parked next to the ATM at the busy corner of Bowden and Spring Park roads.
Secured by Times-Union partner First Coast News, the video shows a man in dark clothing getting out of the car's back seat, opening the driver's door and grabbing something before walking away. He sprints back to shut the driver's door and running away quickly.
Gist's arrest report says drugs were involved. He had texted one of the victims earlier in the day about needing some drugs, according to a warrant.
Barnes' 20-year-old brother, Jelijah Barnes, was killed earlier that same year on March 13 in the 7000 block of South Beekman Lake Drive, according to the Times-Union's previous reporting. Police released very little about the circumstances, other than he was shot multiple times exiting his vehicle at a residence. No arrests have been reported.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jurors convict killer of young couple outside ATM in Jacksonville
