Executive Summary
- Federal charges have been filed against Jamar McKissic regarding an August 5 armed carjacking in Detroit.
- ATF investigators allege the suspect posted Instagram videos driving the stolen vehicle less than two hours after the crime.
- Court documents state the victim was assaulted with a handgun and hospitalized for injuries.
- A federal search warrant executed at the suspect’s home reportedly yielded firearms and items seen in the videos.
Federal authorities have charged a Detroit teenager in connection with a violent armed carjacking following the discovery of social media posts that allegedly showed the suspect driving the stolen vehicle shortly after the incident. A criminal complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan accuses Jamar McKissic of participating in the armed theft on Detroit’s west side.
According to court filings, the incident occurred on August 5 at approximately 10:30 a.m. The victim reported to police that two armed men ordered him out of his Chevrolet Tahoe. The victim stated that one of the assailants struck him with a handgun before the pair fled in the vehicle, which contained the victim’s wallet, a personal firearm, and other belongings. The victim required hospitalization for injuries sustained during the encounter.
An affidavit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) alleges that less than two hours after the carjacking, an Instagram story was posted showing McKissic operating a vehicle that matched the description of the stolen Tahoe. Investigators noted that the video showed both occupants displaying firearms. The complaint details that McKissic allegedly held a handgun equipped with a light and laser, while a second individual appeared to display a weapon fitted with an illegal "switch," a device used to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun.
Agents identified McKissic through visible tattoos seen in the footage and linked the social media account to him. On November 26, ATF agents executed a federal search warrant at McKissic’s residence. Investigators reported recovering a diamond-encrusted watch similar to one observed in the Instagram videos, along with four firearms. One firearm discovered under a mattress was visually identified as consistent with the weapon seen in the social media footage recorded inside the stolen vehicle.
Investigative Outlook
This case highlights the evolving strategies of federal law enforcement in leveraging digital footprints to solve violent crimes. The involvement of the ATF and the citation of specific firearm modifications, such as the "switch," underscore a continued federal priority to crack down on the proliferation of illegal machine-gun conversion devices in urban centers. Furthermore, the rapid correlation between the physical crime and digital evidence demonstrates the increasing evidentiary weight of social media in establishing probable cause. McKissic is expected to appear in federal court for further proceedings, though no trial date has been set. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
