‘It was execution style’: Man shot, killed mother of his child during custody exchange

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WKRC) – A man has been convicted of murder for the fatal shooting of the mother of his child during a custody exchange in which the son was present.

Jaion Barnes, 25, was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges for the fatal shooting of Tianna Ross, according to CBS News.

The shooting happened on Jan. 15, 2024, at the Peachtree Apartments in Clinton Township, a suburb of Detroit. Just a few days before the shooting, Barnes sent Ross a text message about a previous incident between the two that resulted in domestic violence.

“On my son, I will never put my hands on you again,” said the message, according to Macomb Daily.

Additionally, just before the child exchange, the two argued about how to exchange the boy. Ross was on her way to a class and wanted Barnes to pick up the child, which Barnes didn’t want to do. Ross eventually decided to take the child to Barnes’ apartment.

Carrying their son into the apartment lobby in his car seat, Ross waited for Barnes to come down from his apartment. This is when Barnes shot her three times, once in the stomach and twice in the face, all while the boy was watching.

Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Elizabeth Abbo spoke on the brutal nature of the crime.

“He shot her multiple times. Not once. Not twice, but three times. And as you saw, two were right to her face,” said Abbo. “It was execution style, quick, and fatal; she was left to die by herself with her crying baby by her side.”

The prosecution argued that the shooting was intentional, rejecting Barnes’ claim that it was accidental.

“The gun didn’t go off by itself,” Abbo said. “All of the evidence supports that Tianna was shot, and the intention was to kill her because of how she was shot. There was not a struggle over the gun. Tianna was 118 pounds. Somebody’s hand was on that trigger. It wasn’t hers. The gun didn’t just go off.”

The couple had a history of domestic violence, and prosecutors suggested Barnes was upset over Ross seeing other people and her plans to drop off their 2-year-old child and leave. The jury reached a verdict after a six-day trial and brief deliberations.

“Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, the mother of his own child,” said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, according to a press release.

The jury reached a verdict after a six-day trial and brief deliberations. Barnes faces a mandatory 25-year sentence as a fourth-time habitual offender, with a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 26. Barnes was also found guilty of felony firearm possession, weapons possession by a felon, and domestic violence.

A GoFundMe for Ross’ son remains active, describing her as “full of life” and “the life of the party.”