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GWINNETT COUNTY, GA – A Lawrenceville man was sentenced to life in prison for shooting an acquaintance who refused to illegally sell him a gun, the Gwinnett District Attorney’s Office said on Thursday Sept. 10.
Jay Dante Crump, 24, was found guilty of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the September 2023 shooting death of 28-year-old Dareese Amir Ellis. Crump was sentenced to life in prison plus five years.
“It is unfortunate that a life was taken,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “And now, the sentence is a stark reminder that there are severe consequences for such acts.”
On Sept. 5, 2023, Ellis and the victim were engaged in an argument via text messages because the defendant wanted to buy Ellis’ gun. Crump, who had purchased marijuana from Ellis before, asked that Ellis sell him the gun, then report it stolen so that it would not be documented. Ellis refused and argued that he preferred to sell the gun at a pawn shop because it would be a more legitimate method.
The dispute escalated from text messages to phone calls, and eventually, the men met one another in the parking lot of the Norcross extended stay hotel where they both lived. As they encountered one another, they spoke briefly before the defendant drew a gun and fired twice at Ellis. Ellis was killed on the scene.
During trial, the jury heard witness testimony that Ellis was unarmed, and unagitated before he met face-to-face with the defendant. Jurors also saw cell phone video of their encounter, and saw the defendant point a gun at Ellis.
Managing Assistant District Attorney Christopher Huslak and Assistant District Attorney Selwin Patterson prosecuted the case with assistance from Investigator Christopher Lymber and Victim Witness Advocate Chelsey Thomas.
The Gwinnett County Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, and the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office were invaluable in helping to prosecute this case, Gwinnett District Attorney’s Office stated.