Jessica Jessmon was a Middleton, Wisconsin, mother, and paralegal student who is accused of shooting her two children to death, wounding their father, and then taking her own life.
The Wisconsin State Journal identified the mother through a neighbor as Jessica Jessmon.
Court records show she “shared custody of her two children, Makyla Lacey-Robinson, 8, and Major Lacey-Robinson, 5, with Sedale Lacey-Robinson,” the State Journal reported. Police have not formally named the people involved; however, they say the shootings were a murder-suicide and that Jessmon was the shooter.
Here’s what you need to know:
Jessica Jessmon ‘Opened Fire at Her Family Members,’ Middleton Police Say
Shortly after 7:40 p.m. on February 18, 2024, “a 34-year-old female, armed with a handgun, opened fire at her family members inside 6303 Maywood Avenue,” the Middleton Police Department wrote in a news release.
“A 31-year-old male was struck by gunfire multiple times as he exited the residence. Two children, an 8-year-old female and a 5-year-old male, were struck and killed by gunfire. The adult female, and mother of the children, then turned the gun on herself and ended her own life,” the release says.
“The adult male, and father of the deceased children, remains hospitalized but is no longer in intensive care,” it reads. “Domestic violence has no place in our community. The Middleton Police Department remains committed to thoroughly investigating domestic violence incidents and enforcing the law to the fullest extent.”
In an earlier release, Middleton police wrote, “It is with great sadness that we confirm two of the deceased individuals in this incident are children and students of Sauk Trail Elementary School.”
Police also provided additional details in an earlier release. “While officers were in the area, a male exited a separate residence in the 6300 block of Maywood Avenue stating he had been shot and he had multiple gunshot wounds. Officers immediately tended to the victim and began securing the area. The male was transported to a local hospital,” the release says, adding that he was in stable condition.
Sedale Lacey-Robinson Was Previously Accused of Giving Heroin to an Undercover Officer
According to the State Journal, Jessmon and Lacey-Robinson “had been in an ongoing custody dispute following his release from four years in federal prison for dealing heroin laced with fentanyl.” The State Journal reported that the man hospitalized in the shootings was the “children’s father.”
Lacey-Robinson accused Jessmon of not letting him see the kids, the State Journal reported. The press release from the U.S. Department of Justice says that Lacey-Robinson was accused of selling heroin laced with fentanyl and cocaine to an undercover officer.
The 2019 press release says a handgun was found and added, “Lacey-Robinson was on state probation because he was convicted of distributing heroin in 2014. Lacey-Robinson’s term of state probation was revoked in June 2019, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.”
According to the State Journal, at one point, Jessmon agreed to get back together with Lacey-Robinson, but then he married someone else. Jessmon also had felony drug convictions, although they dated back a decade, according to Wisconsin court records. There is a paternity action involving the pair.
Jessica Jessmon Wrote on LinkedIn That She Expected to Graduate as a Paralegal in May
Jessmon’s LinkedIn page says she was a paralegal student at Madison Area Technical College.
“Hello, My name is Jessica. I am currently a paralegal student at Madison college, My anticipated graduation date is May 2024. My work experiences include a variety of professional positions such as pharmacy technician, administrative call-center receptionist, and financial analyst,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “I am able to thrive in fast paced environments. I also have 20 years of experience in customer service related positions. I use my skills to communicate effectively with co-workers and clients for problem-solving and maintaining positive relationships.”
She had previously worked in patient billing, as an administrative call-center receptionist, and as a pharmacy technician for Walgreens, according to LinkedIn. Her Facebook page contained an inspirational graphic.
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