Maryland Attorney Shot During Robbery In Turks and Caicos
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A prominent D.C. attorney and Maryland resident who worked for free fighting for Maryland's historically black colleges, is fighting for his life after being shot while on vacation on the island of Turks and Caicos.
Investigators say 57-year-old Michael Jones, was shot during an armed robbery Friday night, after two men broke into his villa located on the main island of Providenciales.
He's now in stable condition at a Florida hospital.
"The victim received a single gunshot wound to his upper body," authorities said.
Investigators say the suspects were able to get to Jones by tying up security guards outside of his villa, before getting away with a laptop.
"The security guard had been lightly bound at the scene with his own shoe laces."
Jones was rushed to a hospital on the island, before being flown to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, just outside of Miami.
Jones has tried cases across the country. He took on the Maryland Higher Education Foundation, working for free, fighting for millions in additional funding to Maryland's 4 historically black university and colleges: Morgan State, Bowie State, and Coppin State, along with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Jones, an adjunct professor at Georgeotown University, is also a partner at Kirkland and Ellis Law Firm in D.C.
The firm released this statement to WJZ:
"Mike Jones, a partner in our Washington, D.C., office, was shot during a burglary while on vacation with his family. Mike was treated successfully and is in stable condition and is expected to fully recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mike and his family, and we look forward to welcoming him back after his recovery."
The day before the attack, the country released its latest crime stats.
Robberies on the island nation from April to June are up 221 percent from this time last year.
Crimes involving guns are up 158 percent in the same time frame.
The U.S. State Department has not issued a travel warning for the island, but says crime is "low, but increasing." This is the second time an American has been violently attacked on the island in recent months.
Island officials say they're working to fix the problem.
investigators say they do have some leads in the case.
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