Jarron Deajon Pridgeon

Jarron Deajon Pridgeon was born on March 21, 1995, in the United States. Public records indicate that he spent much of his adult life in and around Muskogee, Oklahoma. He maintained intermittent residence with family members, including his brother-in-law and extended relatives, and at times lived in the same household as several of the eventual victims.

Prior to the 2021 killings, Pridgeon had a documented criminal history. In 2019, he was charged with assault and battery after an incident in which he threw concrete at a woman. He later pleaded guilty to the charge and received a deferred sentence that included three years of probation. As part of that case, the court ordered Pridgeon to undergo a mental health evaluation conducted by a state-appointed expert to determine whether underlying psychological factors contributed to his behavior.

Court documents also show that Pridgeon was legally prohibited from possessing firearms due to his prior felony conviction. Despite this restriction, authorities later determined that he had obtained a gun before the 2021 shooting. Details regarding his employment history, education, and personal relationships were not extensively documented in public court records.

In the early morning hours of February 2, 2021, Jarron Deajon Pridgeon carried out a mass shooting inside a private residence in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The home was occupied by multiple family members, including children. Law enforcement officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 1:30 a.m. after receiving reports of gunfire.

When officers arrived, they encountered an armed male inside or near the residence. During the initial confrontation, an officer discharged a rifle once but did not strike the suspect. Pridgeon fled the scene on foot but was apprehended shortly afterward following a brief pursuit by police.

Inside the residence, officers discovered six victims who had been fatally shot. The deceased included 24-year-old Javarion Lee and five children ranging in age from one to nine years old. The children were identified as Lee’s nieces and nephews and were also related to Pridgeon. A woman believed to be the children’s mother survived the attack but sustained serious gunshot injuries. She was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment.

Three additional children were present in the home at the time of the shooting but were not physically injured.

Investigators determined that Pridgeon had been staying at the residence intermittently prior to the shooting. No motive was immediately identified, and authorities stated that there were no additional suspects involved in the case. Prosecutors later confirmed that the firearm used in the killings was illegally possessed due to Pridgeon’s prior felony conviction.

Pridgeon was taken into custody on February 2, 2021, and formally charged later that year. The Muskogee Police Department and county prosecutors conducted an extensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killings, including Pridgeon’s mental health history and prior criminal conduct.

In August 2021, prosecutors filed six counts of first-degree murder against Pridgeon in Muskogee County. At that time, the state announced its intent to seek the death penalty. Additionally, Pridgeon’s deferred sentence from his 2019 assault conviction was accelerated, resulting in the immediate imposition of a previously suspended 10-year prison sentence due to violation of probation terms.

Pridgeon entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity as his case moved through pretrial proceedings. The trial experienced multiple delays, including requests for continuances and disputes related to access to court transcripts. The case was initially scheduled for trial in November 2023 but was later postponed to May 2024.

On October 4, 2024, Jarron Deajon Pridgeon pleaded guilty to all six counts of first-degree murder. As part of the plea, the death penalty was no longer pursued. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. No parole eligibility has been publicly announced.

As of the most recent court records, Pridgeon remains incarcerated within the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

In the days following the shooting, grief counseling services were made available to students at local schools attended by the victims. Mental health support was also offered to first responders who participated in the emergency response.

Muskogee city officials announced community-based initiatives focused on supporting first responders and victims’ families. Local clergy organizations coordinated fundraising efforts to assist the surviving mother of the children, with logistical support from city leadership.

The shooting was identified by law enforcement and media outlets as the deadliest mass shooting in Oklahoma since the 1986 Edmond post office attack.