Escambia Man Charged With Fatal Whataburger Shooting

May 21, 2026

An Escambia County man has been charged with a November 4, 2025, fatal shooting in the parking lot of a Whataburger at 5480 Pensacola Boulevard.

This week, Ja’Kobe Mi’Keal Edward was charged with first-degree murder while engaged in robbery.

According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, 22-year-old Ja’Kobe Edward met with the victim under the guise of purchasing three pounds of marijuana for $3,900. Text messages between the two revealed that they had negotiated the transaction over the preceding days, eventually changing the meeting location to the fast-food restaurant’s parking lot.

Investigators concluded that Edward and an unidentified accomplice approached a black GMC Yukon driven by the victim’s mother. The victim was seated in the rear passenger side. As Edward and the accomplice reached the vehicle’s rear window, a struggle ensued during an apparent robbery attempt.

The victim was shot in the shoulder and neck from outside the vehicle. His mother then used her Taurus .357 revolver to fire back through the window, striking Edward in the head. Edward collapsed in the parking lot next to two vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, while his accomplices fled the scene in a rented white Chevrolet Malibu. The rental vehicle was later found abandoned and wiped down with cleaning chemicals.

The mother drove her unresponsive son to Baptist Hospital, while paramedics transported Edward to Sacred Heart Hospital. The victim succumbed to his injuries four days later on November 8, 2025.

Following a detailed investigation tracking cell phones, vehicle GPS data, and drug packaging, a warrant was issued.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT TOP