Family identifies the victim as 29-year-old Marcus Jackson; police have issued a capital murder warrant for a 20-year-old suspect.
PINE BLUFF, AR — Pine Bluff police are searching for a 20-year-old man wanted on a capital murder charge after a late-night shooting at a convenience store left a father dead. The confrontation began inside a Food Mart on Old Warren Road around 11 p.m. Tuesday and ended with gunfire at the doorway, authorities and relatives said.
Investigators say the victim, Marcus Jackson, 29, died Wednesday night, one day after he was shot several times during a brief encounter caught on store cameras. Police identified the suspect as Akyell Malik Madison and warned he should be considered armed and dangerous. The case has galvanized the community: Jackson’s partner and mother described him as a helpful neighbor and devoted father, while detectives worked to collect footage and witness statements from the store and nearby businesses. The search entered the holiday week with no arrest announced, heightening concern in a city already grappling with year-end violence.
Police and family members said Jackson stopped at the Food Mart in the 3400 block of Old Warren Road around 11 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30, to pick up snacks for his children. Security video shows Jackson, wearing an orange jacket, stepping to the counter where another man in a dark hoodie with white floral markings stood. Moments earlier, that man had walked in holding a purse with an AK-style pistol tucked under his arm. What was said between the two is unclear. According to relatives who viewed the video, the gun was raised, Jackson grabbed for it, and shots followed as the struggle moved toward the door. Jackson stumbled outside and collapsed. He was taken for treatment but died the following night. “He went to get them the snacks they asked for; he never came back home,” his widow, Brianna Jackson, said.
Detectives named the suspect as Akyell Malik Madison, 20, and said Jackson was struck six times with an AK-47-style weapon. Madison is described as armed and dangerous. Officials have not released a motive and said there is no evidence the two men knew each other. Jackson’s mother, Shelia Curry, said she learned of the shooting from another son and believes the suspect remained close to Pine Bluff in the hours after the killing. Brianna Jackson said she and Marcus shared three young children, ages two, four and six, who are struggling to understand the loss. “Marcus was very giving and caring, and everybody loved him,” she said in an interview. Police did not disclose how many other customers were inside the store, whether a getaway car was used, or whether any shell casings were recovered from the entrance area.
Store security footage anchors much of the timeline in the case. The video shows the suspect entering with a purse and the AK-style pistol visible under his arm, then standing at the counter before the encounter with Jackson begins. The shooting happened during the year’s final holiday week in a corridor lined with small markets and gas stations a short drive from Jackson’s home. Pine Bluff officials have emphasized hiring and crime-reduction efforts heading into the new year, but the killing underscored the city’s persistent concerns about gun violence. In recent months, police have reported a series of late-night shootings across several neighborhoods, putting pressure on detectives to secure quick leads when surveillance video is available.
Police said a capital murder warrant has been issued for Madison. Detectives are reviewing additional surveillance from adjoining businesses and interviewing witnesses who were in or near the Food Mart at the time of the shooting. The department said tips can be provided to its main line or detective division and can be left anonymously; investigators are also coordinating with regional agencies in case the suspect left Jefferson County. No court hearings have been set, and no other suspects have been named. The state crime lab is expected to finalize reports tied to the autopsy and ballistics; officials have not given a timeline for those results.
Outside the store on Old Warren Road, patrons described a stretch of bright lights and steady traffic even late at night. A makeshift memorial grew near the entrance as relatives gathered, some recalling Jackson’s back-to-school drives and giveaways that drew neighborhood kids each fall. “He was funny, and he always tried to help,” Brianna Jackson said. Curry, Jackson’s mother, urged anyone with knowledge to come forward. “I know somebody’s hiding him,” she said of the suspect. Neighbors in the area said they recognized the store from the surveillance stills circulating online but were surprised to hear about a gun carried into the building in a purse.
As of Saturday evening, police had not announced an arrest. Detectives plan to release further updates if there are significant developments or if additional images become available.
Author note: Last updated January 3, 2026.