Lakeland woman charged in shooting that killed rapper was protecting mother, police say

LAKELAND — Police and prosecutors have determined a woman charged in the July deadly shooting outside the Jade Fox Lounge in South Lakeland was acting in defense of her mother when she fatally shot a popular local rapper, Raheem "350Heem" Bacon.

She also isn't a convicted felon, as police originally charged.

Jamilah Johnson, 23, of Winter Haven, was arrested July 30 after the shooting outside the lounge on Lakeland Highlands Road, which killed Bacon, 25, and critically wounded Johnson's 48-year-old mother, Regina Orr. She was initially charged with one felony count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon was added later.

But on Tuesday, Lakeland police said Johnson, in fact, was not a convicted felon and that she fired her weapon only after Bacon had shot her mother.

The previous charges have been dropped, LPD said, and Johnson now faces charges of possession of a concealed firearm and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. She remains in jail as of Tuesday evening, according to Polk County Jail Inquiry's website, which says she's being detained for another agency.

Jade Fox shooting Lawyer says woman charged in Lakeland shooting that killed rapper was acting in defense

What happened outside Jade Lounge?

During their investigation, detectives said they learned a fight occurred inside the Jade Fox Lounge over the venue's cover charge immediately prior to the shooting. Afterward, the nightclub's security ordered patrons to exit the building.

People who left the lounge gathered in the Highlands Plaza shopping center's parking lot. Another physical altercation broke out, according to police, during which multiple shots were fired. Police said two rounds struck Bacon and one bullet hit Johnson's mother.

Officers at the scene witnessed a woman, who was later identified as Johnson, running through the parking lot with a firearm and ordered her to stop. She fled on foot and threw her .40-caliber Glock 27 handgun underneath a vehicle, police said. The gun was later recovered as evidence.

Lakeland detectives said when they accessed Johnson's criminal history on the Florida Crime Information Center database while at the scene, it indicated that she was a convicted felon. It was later determined Johnson was not a felon as she had pled down to a lesser charge on a previous arrest — as the lawyer who represented her in the case informed The Ledger a couple of days after the shooting.

That lawyer, Jeff Holmes, told The Ledger two days after the shooting, on Aug. 1, that he had represented Johnson in 2021 when she faced a felony charge of carrying a concealed firearm. The case was settled by a plea agreement to a lesser misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon and sentenced to 12 months' probation, online documents from Polk County Clerk of Courts show.

Holmes also said of the Jade Fox shooting that given time, the evidence would show Johnson came to the defense of her mother, which he said is permitted under Florida law. He also said a video showed that "other people there had guns."

"My client didn't shoot her own mother, but we think we know who shot her mother," he said in August.

As crime scene evidence was processed, police said it was determined there were two different caliber bullet casings at the scene, .40 and 9mm calibers.

Police said the department was given a photo taken at the shooting that showed Johnson holding a gun pointed at the Bacon's back just prior to him being shot. Based on this evidence, Johnson was charged with one count of aggravated battery using a deadly weapon.

Days after the shooting, the detectives received a video from another person at the scene. Police said the video shows Bacon raising a gun and shooting Orr seconds before being shot himself by Johnson. Bacon was shot twice, and police said the bullet that took his life was matched to Johnson's firearm.

The firearm used by Bacon has not been recovered. Detectives say someone at the scene took it with them.

Bacon, better known in hip-hop circles as 350Heem, was hosting an upscale celebrity party at the Jade Fox the night of the shooting, featuring an appearance of his older brother, former NBA basketball player Dwayne Bacon, who has played for the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic. Bacon was promoting the event on his Facebook and social media pages as a release party for his new mixtape release "Taking Chances 3."

The Lake Gibson High School graduate of 2016 played varsity basketball and signed a 2021 deal with Motown Records.

In an April 22 interview with Bleu Magazine, Bacon was recounted for his "powerful melodies and street anthems" having gotten his start on Tik-Tok. The rapper told the magazine he was hoping his music would open doors for other musical artists in Lakeland.

"There's a lot of talent coming from Lakeland. Being at the forefront of my city, it's on me to keep the light shining," Bleu Magazine quoted Bacon.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @ SaraWalshFl. Information from previous Ledger reporting was used in this report.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland woman fatally shot rapper after he shot her mother, LPD says