Dubuque, Iowa — Nearly two months after a 16-year-old Dubuque resident was shot and killed in an alley near West Locust and Foye streets, authorities have still not located the primary firearm believed to have been used in the homicide, according to recently filed court documents.

The shooting occurred on March 9, 2026, around 10 p.m. Dubuque police officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area near a Dollar General and in the alley between West Locust and Almond streets. They found Jakory (also spelled JaKory) McMillian suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers provided immediate aid until the Dubuque Fire Department transported him to UnityPoint Finley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Witness accounts described the incident as stemming from a disturbance involving several young males. During an altercation, 18-year-old Latrell O. Powell-Moore (also referred to as Latrell Otis Powell-Moore) allegedly pulled out a handgun, chased McMillian after he attempted to flee, struck him from behind with the weapon to knock him down, and then fired a shot to the head at close range.

Powell-Moore, of Dubuque, faces a first-degree murder charge. He was arrested on March 12–13, 2026, in the 1400 block of Meadowview Drive in Marion, Iowa (Linn County), by the U.S. Marshals Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, with assistance from the Cedar Rapids Police Department Special Response Team and Marion Police Department. He was taken into custody without incident and transported back to Dubuque County, where he remains held at the Dubuque County Jail on a $2 million bond. Powell-Moore has entered a not guilty plea.

A search warrant application filed in April 2026 reveals that Dubuque police have not recovered the .40 caliber pistol believed to be the murder weapon. However, officers did locate a separate .22 caliber pistol near the scene. The Iowa state crime lab later identified three distinct DNA profiles on that secondary firearm.

Early in the probe, police noted limited public details about the gun, citing the active nature of the case. The recent court filings confirm that the primary weapon remains unrecovered despite continued efforts. Investigators continue to pursue all available leads.

McMillian’s family has spoken publicly about their loss. His father, Anton Harris, described the teen as “my world” and expressed profound grief. The family held a funeral for JaKory in March 2026 and used the occasion to call for an end to youth violence in the Dubuque community. Neighbors described hearing an argument escalate rapidly into gunfire while McMillian was reportedly walking his girlfriend home.

The incident appears to have been isolated, involving individuals known to one another rather than a random act of violence.

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