Detroit carjacking suspect posted photos in victim's car on social media, charges say
Charges have been filed against a Detroit teenager in connection with a violent August carjacking after investigators say Instagram videos posted hours after the incident showed him driving the stolen vehicle and displaying firearms.
A criminal complaint was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, accusing Jamar McKissic, who is either 18 or 19 years old, of participating in an armed carjacking in early August.
The complaint says the incident happened on Detroit's west side at about 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 5. The victim told police that two armed men had ordered him out of his Chevrolet Tahoe, and claimed one of them struck him with a handgun. The carjackers then drove off in the vehicle, which still had the victim's wallet, handgun and other personal items inside.
The victim required hospitalization for his injuries.
According to an ATF affidavit, less than two hours after the carjacking, an Instagram story was posted that investigators say showed McKissic driving a vehicle matching the stolen Tahoe. In the video, both occupants reportedly displayed firearms. Investigators say McKissic held a handgun equipped with a light and laser, while the second individual appeared to display a firearm fitted with an illegal "switch" machine-gun conversion device.
A second video posted later that day also appeared to show McKissic behind the wheel of the same vehicle, and an accompanying tag linked to his Instagram account, the complaint says. Agents identified him by his visible tattoos.
Another message on social media indicated that the defendant intended to sell the truck for money.
On Nov. 26, ATF agents executed a federal search warrant at McKissic's residence. Investigators report finding a diamond-encrusted watch resembling one seen in the Instagram videos, as well as four firearms throughout the home. One of them, found under a mattress, appeared visually similar to the one seen in social-media footage recorded inside the suspected stolen Tahoe.
McKissic is expected to appear in federal court for further proceedings. No trial date has been set.
