Woman Found Guilty of Murder After Shooting Ex-Boyfriend in Kitchen While Children Watched
Decatur, GA — DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced a jury conviction in the case of a woman accused of fatally shooting her ex-boyfriend while two of her children were present in the room.
On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, a jury found 30-year-old J’ana Rawat guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault Family Violence, Cruelty to Children in the Third Degree, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.
The charges stem from the May 20, 2022 shooting death of 28-year-old Tyler James Reed.
According to investigators, officers with the Clarkston Police Department responded shortly before 1 a.m. to reports of a person shot at an apartment complex in the 1400 block of Oak Drive.
When officers arrived, they found the apartment door open and entered the unit. Rawat came downstairs and directed officers toward the kitchen. Police detained her and recovered the firearm involved in the shooting from her jacket pocket.
Officers then found Reed lying face down on the kitchen floor. They attempted CPR, but Reed was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said Rawat requested to make a statement and was transported to police headquarters, where she waived her Miranda rights.
Rawat told investigators she had left her three children at the apartment with Reed so she could go out with a friend. Reed was the father of one of her children.
According to her statement, when she returned home about an hour later, she believed the apartment lock had been tampered with after having trouble unlocking the door. After entering, she began arguing with Reed about the lock.
Investigators said Reed was sitting at the kitchen table with one of Rawat’s children during the argument. Rawat told officers she grabbed a kitchen knife and pointed it at Reed because he had been violent toward her in the past.
She then went upstairs, retrieved a firearm, and brought another child downstairs before returning to the kitchen.
Prosecutors said Rawat pointed the gun at Reed while he remained seated at the table. Reed told her he was not afraid, and she fired the weapon twice, shooting him in front of the children.
During the trial, Rawat’s defense attorneys argued that she acted in self-defense. However, prosecutors said there was no evidence Reed posed a threat at the time of the shooting.
DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Asha F. Jackson, who presided over the trial, is expected to schedule a sentencing hearing within 45 days.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Furhawn Shah of the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit, with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Eliazette Johnson and District Attorney Investigator Jennifer Alaedu. Former Clarkston Police Detective A. Powdrill led the initial investigation.
