A Macomb County jury found 25-year-old Jaion Barnes guilty on Thursday of second-degree murder and several related charges following a shooting that occurred during a child custody handoff earlier this year. The conviction stems from the January 15, 2024, death of 23-year-old Tianna Ross at an apartment complex in Clinton Township.
In addition to the murder charge, Barnes was convicted of felony firearm possession, weapons possession by a felon, and domestic violence.
Evidence presented during the trial detailed the events leading up to the shooting. According to court records, Ross arrived at the Peachtree Apartments at approximately 4:30 p.m. to drop off the couple’s 2-year-old son. Text messages shown to the jury revealed a dispute prior to her arrival regarding the logistics of the exchange, with Ross expressing concern over the cost of transportation to the building.
Prosecutors stated that Ross entered the lobby with the child in a car seat, along with a bag of supplies. Shortly after, she was shot three times—once in the abdomen and twice in the head. The toddler was present in the lobby at the time of the gunfire but was not physically harmed.
While no witnesses saw the actual shooting, the defendant’s brother, Jamon Barnes, testified that he heard shots from an upstairs apartment. Upon entering the lobby, he discovered Ross’s body and the child. He told the jury he moved the toddler and the blood-stained car seat to safety before contacting emergency services.
The defense argued that the shooting was accidental. Barnes’s mother testified that her son told her a struggle had occurred over the firearm, causing it to discharge. Prosecutors countered this claim by citing the medical examiner’s findings regarding the trajectory and placement of the wounds, arguing the shots were intentional and fired at close range.
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Records also highlighted a history of domestic tension. A text message sent by Barnes on January 8, one week before the killing, stated he would never physically assault Ross again. Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Elizabeth Abbo argued this history established a pattern of behavior that culminated in the January 15 incident.
Following the verdict, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido noted that Barnes’s status as a fourth-time habitual offender impacts his upcoming sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.
Barnes is currently held in custody awaiting a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 26. A community fundraiser remains active to provide financial support for the couple’s son.
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