Christmas Eve Dakota Co. shooting leads to murder charges: ‘I shot her’

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Dakota County deputies investigate a shooting along 250th Street West in Castle Rock Township on Christmas Eve 2025. (FOX 9)

DAKOTA CO., Minn. (FOX 9) - A shooting on Christmas Eve between a woman and a man who share kids together led to murder charges being filed against the man that police believe shot her.

Castle Rock Township shooting

What we know:

Demarco Marquie Jones, 29, of Farmington, faces one count of second-degree murder for the death of Tatianna Marie Ehnes-Giles.

According to charges filed in Dakota County, around 2:23 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2025, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the report of a woman shot inside a residence located on the 3700 block of 250th Street West in Castle Rock Township.

Upon arrival, deputies found the 26-year-old Ehnes-Giles in an upstairs bedroom dead from a gunshot wound.

They then found Jones semi-conscious on top of a second-floor stairway, with blood on his hands and the back of his head.
Charges states that Jones told deputies a gun was "in the room" – where a handgun and two spent shell casings were recovered.

Five other family members who also reside in the home were present at the time of the shooting, including the two children they share, charges state. 

When speaking with witnesses in the home, police learned that one of the children came running downstairs and reported being scared after hearing something, thinking something had fallen off a shelf or tipped over.

Both children then went up the stairs before running back down saying, "Daddy fell." 

One of the children said that Jones reportedly told them, "I’ve been shot. She shot me, call 911," and then "I shot her."

Ehnes-Giles was reportedly found lying on the bed, covered in blood, "with her hands in front of her face as if she was protecting herself."

What they're saying:

"This tragic act of domestic violence claimed the life of a beloved mother, daughter, sister, and friend on her 26th birthday and on Christmas Eve. We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," said Dakota County Sheriff Joe Leko in a statement announcing the charges. "Our highly trained deputies and investigators were tasked with processing a very challenging scene and did so with professionalism and care. We are also grateful to our Dakota 911 dispatchers and first responder partners for their assistance and professionalism throughout this tragic incident."