Posted on Wed, Sep. 08, 2010
Columbus police investigate 4 killings in 5 days
BY TIM CHITWOOD The Columbus Ledger
A 25-year-old aspiring Christian musician became Columbus’ fourth homicide victim in five days when he was shot Tuesday in his home at the corner of 17th Street and Carter Avenue.
Investigators said a burglar shot David Heath Jackson when Jackson came home and discovered the intruder inside. The burglar fled toward Eberhart Avenue after the shooting, police said. Jackson, who friends said was a guitarist and a disc jockey working the 6-10 a.m. shift at radio station WBOJ “The Truth” 88.5 FM, then collapsed outside.
Police summoned to the scene about 1:30 p.m. found Jackson’s body on the west side of a concrete driveway in front of the carport at the white brick home at 1667 Carter Ave., just three blocks east of Columbus High School. Deputy Coroner Charles Newton pronounced him dead at 1:47 p.m.
Jackson’s death was the latest in a homicide spree that began Friday morning and so far has led only to one arrest.
Columbus police said the third homicide victim, 18-year-old Gerald D. Hatchett, was killed in a shooting Monday night in the city’s East Highland area, a few blocks west of Lakebottom Park. Tuesday’s shooting was a few blocks east of the park.
A patrol car drove through the area of 25th Street about 15 minutes before the shooting, and the area was filled with people, Lt. Charles Kennedy said.
“There’s just a lot of activity on that street,” he said. “And because of the holiday, there were a lot of people out on the street.”
After the shooting, however, no one claimed to have seen anything, Kennedy said.
Muscogee County Coroner Bill Thrower pronounced Hatchett dead at 11:20 p.m. Thrower said Hatchett had a gunshot wound to the head. The shooting took place around 10:40 p.m. e Hatchett‘s body has been sent to the state crime lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.
Musician remembered
Dave Arwood, operations manager for PMB radio, said he thought Jackson had a bright future in music and broadcasting. Jackson had worked for the company about 2 1/2 years and had done on-air work for other Columbus stations as well, Arwood said.
“He was a big church-going guy, a big part of Young Life,” Arwood said. “He’s written lots of beautiful songs. … He actually tried out for ‘America’s Got Talent’ about a year ago. He’s written some beautiful contemporary Christian songs. He’s written some love songs. He’s actually recorded music.”
Besides “The Truth,” Jackson had been a disc jockey on country station Kissin’ 99.3 and rock station 107.3 “The Q” among others.
A witness who saw the burglar flee described him as a thin black man of average height. He was wearing a white T-shirt, which he may have taken off as he fled, and had long dreadlocks.
Suspect arrested in case
The shootings began when Brian Alexander Brown, 33, was shot in the head after a dispute at Johnston Mill Lofts. He was pronounced dead at The Medical Center Friday morning.
Later that night, officers found Levy Lamont Daniel, 17, lying in the middle of Veterans Parkway near Booker T. Washington Apartments about 10:45 p.m. Daniel had been shot in the lower back, police said. He was taken to The Medical Center where he was pronounced dead two minutes after midnight, Thrower said.
Officers arrested Andrew Solomon Jr., 19, around 10 a.m. Tuesday near the site of the shooting, and charged him with murder. Anyone with information about the deaths can contact police at 706-653-3400.
Staff writers Alan Riquelmy and Larry Gierer contributed to this story.
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